Supplemental Guarantor Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	$ 698,882	$ 754,161
Restricted cash	24,366	21,274
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	723,248	775,435	$ 1,309,220	$ 1,653,044
House and land inventory	6,770,655	5,450,058	4,392,100
Land held for sale	31,728	81,492
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale	539,496	442,715
Investments in unconsolidated entities	51,447	41,267
Other assets	857,426	893,345
Intangible assets	154,792	110,215
Deferred tax assets, net	1,049,408	1,394,879
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	0	0
Total assets	10,178,200	9,189,406	8,560,187
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	2,042,340	2,030,649
Income tax liabilities	34,860	57,050
Financial Services debt	331,621	267,877
Term loan	0	498,423
Senior notes	3,110,016	1,576,082
Total liabilities	5,518,837	4,430,081
Total shareholders’ equity	4,659,363	4,759,325	4,804,954	4,648,952
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	10,178,200	9,189,406
Parent Company [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	0	0	11,164	321,063
House and land inventory	0	0
Land held for sale	0	0
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated entities	105	93
Other assets	12,364	38,991
Intangible assets	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	1,051,351	1,392,251
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	6,835,075	5,529,606
Total assets	7,898,895	6,960,941
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	94,656	70,061
Income tax liabilities	34,860	57,050
Financial Services debt	0	0
Term loan		498,423
Senior notes	3,110,016	1,576,082
Total liabilities	3,239,532	2,201,616
Total shareholders’ equity	4,659,363	4,759,325
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,898,895	6,960,941
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	588,353	638,602
Restricted cash	22,832	20,274
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	611,185	658,876	1,158,820	1,191,634
House and land inventory	6,707,392	5,450,058
Land held for sale	31,218	80,458
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated entities	46,248	36,499
Other assets	716,923	763,630
Intangible assets	154,792	110,215
Deferred tax assets, net	0	11
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	(376,748)	465,644
Total assets	7,891,010	7,565,391
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	1,755,756	1,791,395
Income tax liabilities	0	0
Financial Services debt	0	0
Term loan		0
Senior notes	0	0
Total liabilities	1,755,756	1,791,395
Total shareholders’ equity	6,135,254	5,773,996
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,891,010	7,565,391
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	110,529	115,559
Restricted cash	1,534	1,000
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	112,063	116,559	139,236	140,347
House and land inventory	63,263	0
Land held for sale	510	1,034
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale	539,496	442,715
Investments in unconsolidated entities	5,094	4,675
Other assets	128,139	90,724
Intangible assets	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	(1,943)	2,617
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	6,845,781	6,293,018
Total assets	7,692,403	6,951,342
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	191,928	169,193
Income tax liabilities	0	0
Financial Services debt	331,621	267,877
Term loan		0
Senior notes	0	0
Total liabilities	523,549	437,070
Total shareholders’ equity	7,168,854	6,514,272
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,692,403	6,951,342
Eliminating Entries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
House and land inventory	0	0
Land held for sale	0	0
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated entities	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Intangible assets	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	(13,304,108)	(12,288,268)
Total assets	(13,304,108)	(12,288,268)
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	0	0
Income tax liabilities	0	0
Financial Services debt	0	0
Term loan		0
Senior notes	0	0
Total liabilities	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	(13,304,108)	(12,288,268)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (13,304,108)	$ (12,288,268)