Debt Debt (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Oct. 20, 2018
Leverage ratio	60.00%
Unsold owned land threshold	125.00%
Notes payable bank - homebuilding operations	$ 30,000,000	$ 0
Debt Instrument, Unused Borrowing Capacity, Amount	380,173,000
letters of credit outstanding under credit facility	27,170,000
Maximum borrowing availability subject to limit	242,800,000
Number of Secured Letters of Credit Outstanding under Credit Facility	3
Letters of Credit Outstanding Under Letter of Credit Facilities	6,456,000	13,395,000
Aggregate Capacity of Secured Letters of Credit under Credit Facility	20,000,000
Uncommitted Letters of Credit	3,800,000
Restricted Cash for Secured Letter of Credit Agreements	6,590,000	13,711,000
Low Range Uncommitted Letter of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum Available Amounts under Letter of Credit Facilities	5,000,000
High Range Uncommittted Letter of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum Available Amounts under Letter of Credit Facilities	10,000,000
First Amendment to New Unsecured Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Homebuilding Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	300,000,000
Sub-limit for letters of credit	125,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	400,000,000
Minimum Tangible Net Worth	$ 363,800,000
Minimum [Member] | New Unsecured Credit Facility [Member] [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis Points Spread on Variable Rate - Credit Facility	150
Maximum [Member] | New Unsecured Credit Facility [Member] [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis Points Spread on Variable Rate - Credit Facility	250
Consolidated EBITDA [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest Coverage Ratio	1.50
Consolidated Interest Incurred [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest Coverage Ratio	1.00