Debt (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		$ 363,849,000		$ 363,849,000		$ 365,749,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs		2,800,000		2,800,000		3,500,000
Interest costs incurred		4,900,000	$ 5,100,000	10,100,000	$ 9,700,000
Interest costs capitalized		1,200,000	$ 2,100,000	2,500,000	$ 4,200,000
Block 21 loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		140,115,000		140,115,000		141,184,000
The Santal loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		74,158,000		74,158,000		73,972,000
Comerica Bank credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		33,977,000		33,977,000		42,482,000
Comerica Bank credit facility | Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit committed		150,000		150,000
Comerica Bank credit facility | Line of credit | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, available borrowing capacity		25,900,000		25,900,000
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		60,000,000.0		60,000,000.0
Amarra Villas credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		5,000		5,000		5,520,000
New Caney land loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		4,929,000		4,929,000		4,908,000
Lantana Place
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		24,085,000		24,085,000		23,268,000
Jones Crossing
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		22,095,000		22,095,000		21,354,000
The Saint Mary Construction Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		25,243,000		25,243,000		21,857,000
Kingwood Place
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		28,067,000		28,067,000		23,991,000
Kingwood Place | Notes Payable to Banks [Member] | Stratus Kingwood, L.P. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	$ 2,500,000
Debt principal	$ 35,400,000
West Killeen Market
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		7,187,000		7,187,000		7,213,000
PPP loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt		$ 3,988,000		$ 3,988,000		$ 0