Supplemental Guarantor Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	$ 272,683	$ 698,882
Restricted cash	33,485	24,366
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	306,168	723,248	$ 775,435	$ 1,309,220
House and land inventory	7,147,130	6,770,655	5,450,058
Land held for sale	68,384	31,728
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale	570,600	539,496
Investments in unconsolidated entities	62,957	51,447
Other assets	745,123	857,426
Intangible assets	140,992	154,792
Deferred tax assets, net	645,295	1,049,408
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	0	0
Total assets	9,686,649	10,178,200	9,189,406
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	2,000,927	2,023,058
Income tax liabilities	86,925	34,860
Financial Services debt	437,804	331,621
Notes payable	3,006,967	3,129,298
Total liabilities	5,532,623	5,518,837
Total shareholders’ equity	4,154,026	4,659,363	4,759,325	4,804,954
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	9,686,649	10,178,200
Parent Company [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	0	0	0	11,164
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	105
Other assets	9,417	12,364
Intangible assets	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	646,227	1,051,351
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	6,661,638	6,835,075
Total assets	7,317,282	7,898,895
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	89,388	94,656
Income tax liabilities	86,925	34,860
Financial Services debt	0	0
Notes payable	2,986,943	3,110,016
Total liabilities	3,163,256	3,239,532
Total shareholders’ equity	4,154,026	4,659,363
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,317,282	7,898,895
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	125,462	588,353
Restricted cash	32,339	22,832
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	157,801	611,185	658,876	1,158,820
House and land inventory	7,053,087	6,707,392
Land held for sale	68,384	31,218
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated entities	62,415	46,248
Other assets	592,045	716,923
Intangible assets	140,992	154,792
Deferred tax assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	284,983	(376,748)
Total assets	8,359,707	7,891,010
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	1,636,913	1,738,454
Income tax liabilities	0	0
Financial Services debt	0	0
Notes payable	16,911	17,302
Total liabilities	1,653,824	1,755,756
Total shareholders’ equity	6,705,883	6,135,254
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	8,359,707	7,891,010
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	147,221	110,529
Restricted cash	1,146	1,534
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	148,367	112,063	116,559	139,236
House and land inventory	94,043	63,263
Land held for sale	0	510
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale	570,600	539,496
Investments in unconsolidated entities	542	5,094
Other assets	143,661	128,139
Intangible assets	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	(932)	(1,943)
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net	7,300,127	6,845,781
Total assets	8,256,408	7,692,403
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	274,626	189,948
Income tax liabilities	0	0
Financial Services debt	437,804	331,621
Notes payable	3,113	1,980
Total liabilities	715,543	523,549
Total shareholders’ equity	7,540,865	7,168,854
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	8,256,408	7,692,403
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	(14,246,748)	(13,304,108)
Total assets	(14,246,748)	(13,304,108)
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities	0	0
Income tax liabilities	0	0
Financial Services debt	0	0
Notes payable	0	0
Total liabilities	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	(14,246,748)	(13,304,108)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (14,246,748)	$ (13,304,108)