Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 31,471,000	$ 170,473,000	$ 33,196,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Gain on disposition of assets	(11,224,000)	(5,051,000)	(2,748,000)
Gain on disposition of properties, net	0	(125,376,000)	(17,654,000)
Gain on acquisition of property	(510,000)	0	0
Foreign currency exchange loss	5,005,000	0	0
Contingent liability remeasurement loss	181,000	0	0
Asset impairment charges	0	0	837,000
Share-based compensation	9,557,000	7,108,000	4,879,000
Depreciation and amortization	218,669,000	174,589,000	131,003,000
Deferred tax (benefit) expense	(400,000)	1,000,000	0
Amortization of below market lease	(6,570,000)	(5,073,000)	0
Amortization of debt premium	(10,693,000)	(10,483,000)	0
Amortization of deferred financing costs	2,160,000	1,936,000	1,056,000
Amortization of ground lease intangibles	600,000	0	0
Income from affiliate transactions	(500,000)	(7,500,000)	(1,200,000)
Change in notes receivable from financed sales of inventory homes, net of repayments	(20,933,000)	(9,270,000)	(15,300,000)
Change in inventory, other assets and other receivables, net	28,118,000	(14,618,000)	(11,144,000)
Change in other liabilities	(6,238,000)	4,528,000	10,395,000
NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	238,693,000	182,263,000	133,320,000
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Investment in properties	(223,429,000)	(208,427,000)	(177,866,000)
Acquisition of properties	(1,487,593,000)	(309,274,000)	(426,591,000)
Payments for deposits on acquisitions	0	(2,260,000)	(17,064,000)
Proceeds related to affiliate dividend distribution	500,000	7,500,000	1,200,000
Proceeds from disposition of land	0	0	221,000
Proceeds related to disposition of assets and depreciated homes, net	4,709,000	6,848,000	3,312,000
Proceeds related to the disposition of properties	88,696,000	94,522,000	59,706,000
Issuance of notes and other receivables	(10,633,000)	(1,755,000)	297,000
Payment for membership interest	0	(2,102,000)	0
Repayments of notes and other receivables	13,238,000	1,764,000	6,080,000
NET CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(1,614,512,000)	(413,184,000)	(550,705,000)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Issuance and associated costs of common stock, OP units and preferred OP units, net	750,385,000	310,301,000	572,171,000
Net proceeds from stock option exercise	149,000	95,000	127,000
Distributions to stockholders, OP unit holders, and preferred OP unit holders	(193,740,000)	(162,491,000)	(121,377,000)
Payment Of Preferred Stock Redemption Costs	0	(4,328,000)	0
Payments to retire preferred operating partnership units	0	0	(1,119,000)
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	0	(121,445,000)	0
Borrowings on lines of credit	580,754,000	421,184,000	526,546,000
Payments on lines of credit	(505,409,000)	(401,978,000)	(702,135,000)
Proceeds from issuance of other debt	964,252,000	377,041,000	323,241,000
Payments on other debt	(231,912,000)	(225,677,000)	(95,269,000)
Proceeds received from return of prepaid deferred financing costs	0	6,852,000	2,384,000
Payments for deferred financing costs	(25,509,000)	(7,006,000)	(8,478,000)
NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	1,338,970,000	192,548,000	496,091,000
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(73,000)	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(36,922,000)	(38,373,000)	78,706,000
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	45,086,000	83,459,000	4,753,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	8,164,000	45,086,000	83,459,000
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
Cash paid for interest	121,480,000	99,989,000	60,289,000
Cash paid for interest on mandatorily redeemable debt	3,152,000	3,222,000	3,225,000
Income Taxes Paid	452,000	310,000
Cash paid for state income taxes			314,000
Noncash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gain on interest rate swaps	0	0	97,000
Reduction in secured borrowing balance	19,734,000	26,293,000	21,812,000
Change in distributions declared and outstanding	9,626,000	6,744,000	9,051,000
Conversion of Stock, Amount Converted	5,933,000	5,491,000	1,707,000
Conversion Of Series A Four Preferred Stock	11,503,000	6,900,000	0
Escrow Deposits Related to Property Sales	0	126,339,000	0
Settlement of membership interest	0	2,786,000	213,000
Noncash investing and financing activities at the date of acquisition:
Acquisitions - Series A-3 preferred OP units issued	0	380,043,000	209,658,000
Acquisitions - Series A-4 Preferred OP units issued	0	1,000,000
Acquisitions - Series A-4 Preferred Stock issued	0	175,613,000	18,852,000
Acquisitions - Common stock and OP units issued	225,000,000	278,955,000	13,610,000
Acquisitions - debt assumed			44,321,000
Stock issued during period, value, Series C preferred OP units	0	33,154,000	0
Acquisitions - other liabilities	0	0	4,221,000
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Contingent Consideration Liability	$ 9,830,000	$ 0	$ 0