MORTGAGES, NOTES AND LOANS PAYABLE (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended						0 Months Ended				0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended															0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended								0 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Interest rate cap Cash Flow Hedges	Dec. 31, 2012 Interest rate cap Cash Flow Hedges	Dec. 31, 2013 Loan to acquire company airplane	Jul. 26, 2013 Loan to acquire company airplane	Oct. 02, 2013 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2021	Dec. 31, 2013 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2021	Dec. 31, 2013 Construction loan	Dec. 31, 2013 The Woodlands TWL Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 3 Waterway Square	Dec. 31, 2013 Columbia Regional Building	May 31, 2012 Millennium Waterway Apartments	Dec. 31, 2013 One Hughes Landing	Dec. 31, 2013 Airplane loan	Dec. 31, 2012 Airplane loan	Oct. 24, 2013 Outlet at Riverwalk Construction loan item	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland acre	Jun. 30, 2012 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Minimum	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Land Loan	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Land Loan	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Development Loan	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin West S808/810	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin West S808/810	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S151	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S151	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128C	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128C	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S132	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S132	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S108	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S108	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S124	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S124	Aug. 08, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility	Aug. 06, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility item	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands Term loan	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands Revolving credit line	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Capital lease obligation	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets Capital lease obligation	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 110 N. Wacker	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 110 N. Wacker	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway Avenue	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway Avenue	Apr. 26, 2012 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway Avenue	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square item	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square	Feb. 02, 2012 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square sqft item	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 4 Waterway Square	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 4 Waterway Square	Dec. 05, 2011 Operating Assets 4 Waterway Square	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center	Aug. 15, 2012 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Dec. 05, 2011 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Columbia Regional Building item	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets Columbia Regional Building	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	May 31, 2012 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing item	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing	Nov. 14, 2012 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing item sqft	Oct. 24, 2013 Operating Assets Riverwalk Marketplace item	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Riverwalk Marketplace	Feb. 08, 2013 Operating Assets The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center item acre	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Victoria Ward	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets Victoria Ward	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Victoria Ward Minimum	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Victoria Ward Maximum	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments	Dec. 31, 2012 Strategic Developments	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments The Shops at Summerlin S108	Dec. 31, 2012 Strategic Developments The Shops at Summerlin S108	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments The Shops at Summerlin S128	Dec. 31, 2012 Strategic Developments The Shops at Summerlin S128	Nov. 25, 2013 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing - Multi-family item acre sqft	Dec. 20, 2013 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing Retail item sqft	Nov. 25, 2013 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing Retail item	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing Retail	Nov. 25, 2013 Strategic Developments One Lake's Edge	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments One Lake's Edge	Sep. 11, 2013 Strategic Developments Two Hughes Landing item sqft acre	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments Two Hughes Landing item	Sep. 11, 2013 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing Maximum item
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.88%							3.00%	3.00%							5.50%	5.50%	5.00%	7.13%	7.13%	6.00%	6.00%	6.05%	6.05%	6.00%	6.00%	5.95%	5.95%	7.30%	7.30%	5.95%	5.95%			2.92%	2.92%					3.60%	3.60%	5.21%	5.21%	4.79%	4.79%		3.94%	3.94%		4.88%	4.88%		4.25%	4.25%		4.88%	4.88%		2.17%	2.17%	3.75%	3.75%		2.82%	2.82%			2.92%		3.67%	3.67%	3.35%	3.35%					5.95%	5.95%	6.05%	6.05%				2.12%				2.82%
Land, buildings and equipment and developments in progress pledged as collateral	$ 1,600,000,000
Facility Amount							22,700,000				250,000,000															140,000,000																270,000,000	250,000,000		125,000,000	125,000,000					29,000,000																	23,008,000					38,000,000				64,400,000		95,000,000		250,000,000													36,575,000		73,525,000		41,230,000
Outstanding balance						21,300,000																				30,000,000
Mortgages, notes, and loans payable, gross									750,000,000							21,309,000	612,000		223,808,000	240,195,000				18,066,000	18,066,000		11,168,000	22,185,000	6,623,000	10,501,000	5,511,000	5,739,000	3,962,000	4,822,000	823,000	1,067,000	707,000	787,000	285,000	324,000			176,663,000	176,704,000			523,312,000	443,218,000	205,000	41,000	29,000,000	29,000,000	14,450,000	14,450,000		52,000,000	9,150,000		39,237,000	40,140,000		16,287,000	16,037,000		13,398,000	13,706,000		9,207,000		55,584,000	55,584,000		19,128,000	10,000					36,100,000	36,100,000	238,716,000	229,000,000			4,944,000	4,287,000	452,000	586,000	3,569,000	3,701,000				913,000				10,000
Unamortized underwriting fees	(8,750,000)
Total mortgages, notes and loans payable	1,514,623,000	688,312,000										52,000,000	23,000,000		38,000,000			64,400,000				18,100,000																																								16,287,000										55,600,000
Variable rate basis																		one-month LIBOR						three-month LIBOR		LIBOR															one-month LIBOR	one-month LIBOR	one-month LIBOR								one-month LIBOR					one-month LIBOR																				one-month LIBOR			one-month LIBOR		one-month LIBOR											one-month LIBOR			one-month LIBOR			one-month LIBOR
Notional amount				100,000,000	100,000,000
Variable rate basis below specified limit																																																																				prime rate
Variable rate basis above specified limit																																																																				one-month LIBOR					one-month LIBOR
Interest rate margin (as a percent)																		2.75%						2.75%		3.25%															2.75%	4.00%									2.25%					2.65%																	2.65%			2.75%			3.50%		2.50%											1.95%			2.50%			2.65%
Interest rate margin above specified limit (as a percent)																																																																				2.00%
Outstanding principal balance of debt that is swapped to fixed rate through maturity	172,000,000																																																		29,000,000																														143,000,000
Specified limit of draws																																																																				500,000
Fixed interest rate per swap (as a percent)																																																			5.21%																														3.80%
Term of debt instrument														10 years							10 years					3 years																	3 years
Fixed interest rate (as a percent)							3.00%	6.875%																5.50%																															4.79%							4.25%								3.75%
Minimum interest rate (as a percent)																										5.00%																0.00%	5.00%
Amount utilized																										39,200,000
Lender participation right (as a percent)																																																														30.00%
Percentage of cumulative preferred return on the property																																																														10.00%
Estimated Increase in value of the participation obligation																																																														1,400,000
Periodic payments						1,000,000																																																																257,418
Annual principal payments as a percentage of outstanding principal balance																								5.00%
Number of stories of building to be constructed with loan proceeds																																																										11																	8																8						8
Area of office building to be constructed using proceeds from loan																																																										232,000																	197,000																						197,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	5.25%	4.49%																																																																															3.35%
Corporate recourse guarantee amount										32,200,000																																									7,000,000
Extension period at borrower's option																																											1 year													1 year												1 year											1 year
Undrawn and available borrowing capacity																																											73,300,000
Amount of a non-recourse construction financing which repaid existing debt																																																																												64,400,000		95,000,000														36,600,000			73,500,000
Number of extension options																		2																									2													2												2					2			2			3												2	2						2
Option to extend, term																		1 year																																																							1 year			1 year															1 year	1 year						1 year
Number of rooms in property securing debt (in rooms)																																																																															440
Loan to value ratio to draw additional loan proceeds (as a percent)																																																																																				65.00%
Percentage of debt yield to draw additional loan proceeds																																																																																			10.00%
Unused portion of the debt instrument																																																																																	11,300,000
Cash balance required to be maintained																							3,000,000
Net worth required to be maintained																							250,000,000
Period of real estate taxes and debt service required to be escrowed with the lender																					1 year
Amount to which debt will amortize ratably through maturity following an interest-only period																																																			12,000,000
Area of site (in acres)																					806																																																										40												2.92						66
Maximum facility amount at first extension option																																											220,000,000
Maximum facility amount at second extension option																																											185,000,000
Number of spaces in parking garage																																																																																											750						630
Number of office buildings																																																																																																			11
Amount of debt issued								750,000,000																																															14,500,000			43,300,000			41,000,000			16,000,000			14,000,000
Period for which interest rate is fixed																					5 years
Period for which interest rate is floating																					5 years
Area of real estate property to be constructed (in square feet)																																																																																												123,000
Number of multi-family units to be constructed																																																																																											390		22,289
Area of real estate property (in square foot)																																																																																											984
Maximum percentage of Notes that can be redeemed using proceeds from equity offerings at any time prior to October 1, 2016								35.00%
Percentage of principal amount at which Notes can be redeemed								106.875%
Net cash proceeds	$ 1,120,102,000	$ 68,410,000	$ 304,911,000					$ 739,600,000