Supplemental Guarantor Information Supplemental Guarantor Information - Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 142,475	$ 145,498	$ 159,765	$ 59,793
Restricted cash	15,806	8,680
Mortgage loans held for sale	60,388	71,121
Inventory	676,336	556,817
Property and equipment - net	10,346	10,439
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	34,088	11,732
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance	112,682	0
Intercompany	0	0
Other assets	30,946	27,013
TOTAL ASSETS	1,083,067	831,300
LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	85,804	47,690
Customer deposits	14,918	10,239
Intercompany liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	62,310	49,972
Community development district (“CDD”) obligations	3,419	4,634
Obligation for consolidated inventory not owned	1,576	19,105
Note payable bank - financial services operations	55,614	67,957
Notes payable - other	8,126	11,105
TOTAL LIABILITIES	603,487	495,872
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	479,580	335,428
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	1,083,067	831,300
Parent [Member]
ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Mortgage loans held for sale	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Property and equipment - net	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	521,617	391,555
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance	0
Intercompany	319,136	219,962
Other assets	10,547	9,081
TOTAL ASSETS	851,300	620,598
LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	0	0
Customer deposits	0	0
Intercompany liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Community development district (“CDD”) obligations	0	0
Obligation for consolidated inventory not owned	0	0
Note payable bank - financial services operations	0	0
Notes payable - other	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	371,720	285,170
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	479,580	335,428
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	851,300	620,598
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	126,254	126,334	140,899	43,539
Restricted cash	15,806	8,680
Mortgage loans held for sale	0	0
Inventory	676,336	540,761
Property and equipment - net	10,139	10,314
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	14,656	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance	112,164
Intercompany	0	0
Other assets	12,389	12,375
TOTAL ASSETS	967,744	698,464
LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	85,383	46,882
Customer deposits	14,918	10,239
Intercompany liabilities	298,130	205,389
Other liabilities	54,669	44,230
Community development district (“CDD”) obligations	3,419	4,634
Obligation for consolidated inventory not owned	1,576	3,549
Note payable bank - financial services operations	0	0
Notes payable - other	8,126	11,105
TOTAL LIABILITIES	466,221	326,028
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	501,523	372,436
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	967,744	698,464
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	16,221	19,164	18,866	16,254
Restricted cash	0	0
Mortgage loans held for sale	60,388	71,121
Inventory	0	16,056
Property and equipment - net	207	125
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	19,432	11,732
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance	518
Intercompany	0	0
Other assets	8,010	5,557
TOTAL ASSETS	104,776	123,755
LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	421	808
Customer deposits	0	0
Intercompany liabilities	21,006	14,573
Other liabilities	7,641	5,742
Community development district (“CDD”) obligations	0	0
Obligation for consolidated inventory not owned	0	15,556
Note payable bank - financial services operations	55,614	67,957
Notes payable - other	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	84,682	104,636
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	20,094	19,119
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	104,776	123,755
Corporate Elimination [Member]
ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Mortgage loans held for sale	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Property and equipment - net	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(521,617)	(391,555)
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance	0
Intercompany	(319,136)	(219,962)
Other assets	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(840,753)	(611,517)
LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	0	0
Customer deposits	0	0
Intercompany liabilities	(319,136)	(219,962)
Other liabilities	0	0
Community development district (“CDD”) obligations	0	0
Obligation for consolidated inventory not owned	0	0
Note payable bank - financial services operations	0	0
Notes payable - other	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	(319,136)	(219,962)
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	(521,617)	(391,555)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	(840,753)	(611,517)
2017 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	57,500	57,500
2017 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] | Parent [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	57,500	57,500
2017 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	0	0
2017 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	0	0
2017 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] | Corporate Elimination [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	0	0
2018 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	86,250	0
2018 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] | Parent [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	86,250
2018 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	0
2018 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	0
2018 Convertible Senior Notes [Member] | Corporate Elimination [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Convertible subordinated debt	0
2018 Senior Notes [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Senior notes	227,970	227,670
2018 Senior Notes [Member] | Parent [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Senior notes	227,970	227,670
2018 Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Senior notes	0	0
2018 Senior Notes [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Senior notes	0	0
2018 Senior Notes [Member] | Corporate Elimination [Member]
LIABILITIES:
Senior notes	$ 0	$ 0