Note 22 - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Parent Company [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ (43,214)	$ (26,142)
Investments in unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures	$ (135)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures
Loan to parent and subsidiaries
Other investing activities	$ 488	$ (1,080)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	$ 353	$ (1,080)
Change in restricted cash
Borrowings from revolving credit facility	$ 386,400	$ 27,700
Principal payments on revolving credit facility	(120,400)	$ (12,700)
Principal payments on secured project debt and other notes payable	(1,724)
Loan from subsidiary	$ (71,000)	$ 70,000
Net proceeds from (payments on) mortgage credit facilities
(Contributions to) distributions from Corporate and subsidiaries	$ (700)	$ 9,973
Repurchases of common stock	(87,050)	(22,073)
Common stock dividend payments	(4,792)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock plans, net of tax withholdings	$ 2,055	(3,930)
Other financing activities
Intercompany advances, net	$ 20,643	(131,144)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	123,432	(58,805)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	80,571	(86,027)
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period	6,387	133,304
Cash and equivalents at end of period	86,958	47,277
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements		3,369
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(42,551)	$ (61,490)
Investments in unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures	$ (45)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures
Loan to parent and subsidiaries
Other investing activities	$ (199)	$ (697)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	$ (244)	$ (697)
Change in restricted cash
Borrowings from revolving credit facility
Principal payments on revolving credit facility
Principal payments on secured project debt and other notes payable
Loan from subsidiary
Net proceeds from (payments on) mortgage credit facilities
(Contributions to) distributions from Corporate and subsidiaries
Repurchases of common stock
Common stock dividend payments
Issuance of common stock under employee stock plans, net of tax withholdings
Other financing activities	$ (23)
Intercompany advances, net	(34,059)	$ 61,909
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(34,082)	61,909
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	(76,877)	(278)
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period	112,852	1,061
Cash and equivalents at end of period	35,975	$ 783
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	58,143	$ (6,439)
Investments in unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures	(4,011)	(7,639)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures	99	5,732
Loan to parent and subsidiaries	71,000	10,000
Other investing activities	853	(4,200)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	67,941	3,893
Change in restricted cash	$ 1,267	$ (1,019)
Borrowings from revolving credit facility
Principal payments on revolving credit facility
Principal payments on secured project debt and other notes payable	$ (57)	$ (311)
Loan from subsidiary
Net proceeds from (payments on) mortgage credit facilities	$ (138,479)	$ (77,876)
(Contributions to) distributions from Corporate and subsidiaries	$ 700	$ (9,973)
Repurchases of common stock
Common stock dividend payments
Issuance of common stock under employee stock plans, net of tax withholdings
Other financing activities
Intercompany advances, net	$ 13,416	$ 69,235
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(123,153)	(19,944)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	2,931	(22,490)
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period	67,355	78,028
Cash and equivalents at end of period	$ 70,286	$ 55,538
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Investments in unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures
Loan to parent and subsidiaries	$ (71,000)	$ (10,000)
Other investing activities
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	$ (71,000)	$ (10,000)
Change in restricted cash
Borrowings from revolving credit facility
Principal payments on revolving credit facility
Principal payments on secured project debt and other notes payable
Loan from subsidiary	$ 71,000	$ (70,000)
Net proceeds from (payments on) mortgage credit facilities		$ 80,000
(Contributions to) distributions from Corporate and subsidiaries
Repurchases of common stock
Common stock dividend payments
Issuance of common stock under employee stock plans, net of tax withholdings
Other financing activities
Intercompany advances, net
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	$ 71,000	$ 10,000
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and equivalents at end of period
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ (27,622)	$ (94,071)
Investments in unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures	(4,191)	(7,639)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated homebuilding joint ventures	$ 99	$ 5,732
Loan to parent and subsidiaries
Other investing activities	$ 1,142	$ (5,977)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(2,950)	(7,884)
Change in restricted cash	1,267	(1,019)
Borrowings from revolving credit facility	386,400	27,700
Principal payments on revolving credit facility	(120,400)	(12,700)
Principal payments on secured project debt and other notes payable	$ (1,781)	$ (311)
Loan from subsidiary
Net proceeds from (payments on) mortgage credit facilities	$ (138,479)	$ 2,124
(Contributions to) distributions from Corporate and subsidiaries
Repurchases of common stock	$ (87,050)	$ (22,073)
Common stock dividend payments	(4,792)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock plans, net of tax withholdings	2,055	$ (3,930)
Other financing activities	$ (23)
Intercompany advances, net
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	$ 37,197	$ (6,840)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	6,625	(108,795)
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period	186,594	212,393
Cash and equivalents at end of period	$ 193,219	103,598
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements		$ 3,369