Debt	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Debt [Abstract]
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	Debt Notes Payable - Homebuilding On January 31, 2012, the Company entered into the 2012 Amendment . Among other things, the 2012 Amendment amends the Credit Facility in the following respects: (1) the maturity date was extended from June 9, 2013 to December 31, 2014; (2) the Company may increase the amount of the Credit Facility up to $175 million in aggregate, contingent on obtaining additional commitments from lenders; (3) the interest coverage covenant in the Credit Facility was amended to require the Company to maintain either (or a combination of) $25 million of cash pledged to the lenders or $25 million of excess availability under the Secured Borrowing Base (as defined in the Credit Agreement dated June 9, 2010, as amended, that governs the Credit Facility (the "Credit Agreement")) if the Interest Coverage Ratio and ACFO Ratio (as each is defined in the Credit Agreement) are both less than 1.50 (previously, the Company was required to maintain $25 million of cash pledged to the lenders if both of the interest coverage ratios were less than 1.50); (4) the aggregate commitment of the Credit Facility will begin to decrease in increments of $20 million on a quarterly basis, beginning September 30, 2013, if the Interest Coverage Ratio and ACFO Ratio are both less than 1.50, provided that this provision does not apply if, at the time of determination, the aggregate commitments of the lenders are less than or equal to $80 million and the Company has maintained an ACFO Ratio of greater than 1.10 to 1.00 for the trailing two fiscal quarters; (5) a component was added to the Secured Borrowing Base to allow up to $25 million of availability based on mortgaged real property for which appraisals and other requirements have not been completed, for a period of up to 120 days, based on 35% of the aggregate book value of such mortgaged real property; and (6) the maximum dollar amount of letters of credit that may be issued under the Credit Agreement was increased to $40 million from $25 million. At March 31, 2012, borrowing availability under the Credit Facility was $66.8 million in accordance with the borrowing base calculation, and there were no borrowings outstanding and $18.3 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility, leaving net remaining borrowing availability of $48.5 million. At March 31, 2012, the Company had pledged $202.8 million in aggregate book value of inventory to secure any borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. At March 31, 2012, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants of the Credit Facility. At March 31, 2012, there was $13.2 million of outstanding letters of credit under the Company's five secured Letter of Credit Facilities, which was collateralized with $13.6 million of the Company's cash. Notes Payable — Financial Services In March 2012, we entered into the Second Amendment to the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement, which, among other things, increased our availability from $60.0 million to $70.0 million and extended the maturity from March 31, 2012 to March 30, 2013. At March 31, 2012, M/I Financial had $41.6 million outstanding under the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement, and was in compliance with all financial covenants of that agreement. Senior Notes As of March 31, 2012, we had $41.4 million of our 2012 Senior Notes and $200.0 million of our 2018 Senior Notes outstanding. The 2012 Senior Notes and the 2018 Senior Notes are general, unsecured senior obligations of the Company and the subsidiary guarantors and rank equally in right of payment with all our existing and future unsecured senior indebtedness. The 2012 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. The parent company has no independent assets or operations, and any subsidiaries of the parent company, other than the subsidiary guarantors of the 2012 Senior Notes, are minor. The 2018 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of our subsidiaries, with the exception of subsidiaries that are primarily engaged in the business of mortgage financing, the origination of mortgages for resale, title insurance or similar financial businesses relating to the homebuilding and home sales business and certain subsidiaries that are not wholly-owned by the Company or another subsidiary. The indenture governing our 2012 Senior Notes and the indenture governing our 2018 Senior Notes contain restrictive covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of the Company to pay dividends on common and preferred shares, or repurchase any shares. If our "restricted payments basket," as defined in each of the indentures, is less than zero, we are restricted from making certain payments, including dividends, as well as from repurchasing any shares. At March 31, 2012, the restricted payments basket was $(219.7) million under the indenture governing our 2012 Senior Notes, and $(13.6) million under the indenture governing our 2018 Senior Notes. As a result of the deficit in our restricted payments basket under the indenture governing our 2012 Senior Notes and the indenture governing our 2018 Senior Notes, we are currently restricted from paying dividends on our common shares and our 9.75% Series A Preferred Shares, and from repurchasing any of our common or preferred shares. These restrictions do not affect our compliance with any of the covenants contained in the Credit Facility. See Note 17 for a description of our repayment of the 2012 Senior Notes in April 2012.

Debt

Notes Payable - Homebuilding

On January 31, 2012, the Company entered into the 2012 Amendment . Among other things, the 2012 Amendment amends the Credit Facility in the following respects: (1) the maturity date was extended from June 9, 2013 to December 31, 2014; (2) the Company may increase the amount of the Credit Facility up to $175 million in aggregate, contingent on obtaining additional commitments from lenders; (3) the interest coverage covenant in the Credit Facility was amended to require the Company to maintain either (or a combination of) $25 million of cash pledged to the lenders or $25 million of excess availability under the Secured Borrowing Base (as defined in the Credit Agreement dated June 9, 2010, as amended, that governs the Credit Facility (the "Credit Agreement")) if the Interest Coverage Ratio and ACFO Ratio (as each is defined in the Credit Agreement) are both less than 1.50 (previously, the Company was required to maintain $25 million of cash pledged to the lenders if both of the interest coverage ratios were less than 1.50); (4) the aggregate commitment of the Credit Facility will begin to decrease in increments of $20 million on a quarterly basis, beginning September 30, 2013, if the Interest Coverage Ratio and ACFO Ratio are both less than 1.50, provided that this provision does not apply if, at the time of determination, the aggregate commitments of the lenders are less than or equal to $80 million and the Company has maintained an ACFO Ratio of greater than 1.10 to 1.00 for the trailing two fiscal quarters; (5) a component was added to the Secured Borrowing Base to allow up to $25 million of availability based on mortgaged real property for which appraisals and other requirements have not been completed, for a period of up to 120 days, based on 35% of the aggregate book value of such mortgaged real property; and (6) the maximum dollar amount of letters of credit that may be issued under the Credit Agreement was increased to $40 million from $25 million.

At March 31, 2012, borrowing availability under the Credit Facility was $66.8 million in accordance with the borrowing base calculation, and there were no borrowings outstanding and $18.3 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility, leaving net remaining borrowing availability of $48.5 million. At March 31, 2012, the Company had pledged $202.8 million in aggregate book value of inventory to secure any borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. At March 31, 2012, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants of the Credit Facility.

At March 31, 2012, there was $13.2 million of outstanding letters of credit under the Company's five secured Letter of Credit Facilities, which was collateralized with $13.6 million of the Company's cash.

Notes Payable — Financial Services

In March 2012, we entered into the Second Amendment to the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement, which, among other things, increased our availability from $60.0 million to $70.0 million and extended the maturity from March 31, 2012 to March 30, 2013.

At March 31, 2012, M/I Financial had $41.6 million outstanding under the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement, and was in compliance with all financial covenants of that agreement.

Senior Notes

As of March 31, 2012, we had $41.4 million of our 2012 Senior Notes and $200.0 million of our 2018 Senior Notes outstanding. The 2012 Senior Notes and the 2018 Senior Notes are general, unsecured senior obligations of the Company and the subsidiary guarantors and rank equally in right of payment with all our existing and future unsecured senior indebtedness. The 2012 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. The parent company has no independent assets or operations, and any subsidiaries of the parent company, other than the subsidiary guarantors of the 2012 Senior Notes, are minor. The 2018 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of our subsidiaries, with the exception of subsidiaries that are primarily engaged in the business of mortgage financing, the origination of mortgages for resale, title insurance or similar financial businesses relating to the homebuilding and home sales business and certain subsidiaries that are not wholly-owned by the Company or another subsidiary.

The indenture governing our 2012 Senior Notes and the indenture governing our 2018 Senior Notes contain restrictive covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of the Company to pay dividends on common and preferred shares, or repurchase any shares. If our "restricted payments basket," as defined in each of the indentures, is less than zero, we are restricted from making certain payments, including dividends, as well as from repurchasing any shares. At March 31, 2012, the restricted payments basket was $(219.7) million under the indenture governing our 2012 Senior Notes, and $(13.6) million under the indenture governing our 2018 Senior Notes. As a result of the deficit in our restricted payments basket under the indenture governing our 2012 Senior Notes and the indenture governing our 2018 Senior Notes, we are currently restricted from paying dividends on our common shares and our 9.75% Series A Preferred Shares, and from repurchasing any of our common or preferred shares. These restrictions do not affect our compliance with any of the covenants contained in the Credit Facility. See Note 17 for a description of our repayment of the 2012 Senior Notes in April 2012.