MORTGAGES, NOTES AND LOANS PAYABLE (Details 2) (USD $)				9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended					0 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended																			9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			9 Months Ended							0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Interest rate cap	Sep. 30, 2013 Loan to acquire company airplane	Jul. 26, 2013 Loan to acquire company airplane	Oct. 02, 2013 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2021 Subsequent event	Sep. 30, 2013 Other Financing Arrangements	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Financing Arrangements	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities	Aug. 08, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility	Aug. 06, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility item	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands Term loan	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands Revolving credit line	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland acre	Jun. 30, 2012 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Minimum	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Land Loan	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Land Loan	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Development Loan	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S808/810	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S808/810	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S151	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S151	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128C	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128C	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S132	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S132	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S108	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S108	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128	Sep. 30, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S124	Dec. 31, 2012 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S124	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets Capital lease obligation	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets Capital lease obligation	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets Victoria Ward	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets Victoria Ward	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets Victoria Ward Minimum	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets Victoria Ward Maximum	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	May 31, 2012 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	Feb. 02, 2012 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square sqft item	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square item	Aug. 02, 2013 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square	Dec. 05, 2011 Operating Assets 4 Waterway	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets 4 Waterway	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 4 Waterway	Feb. 08, 2013 Operating Assets Woodlands Resort and Conference Center	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets Woodlands Resort and Conference Center item acre	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets Woodlands Resort and Conference Center	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets 110 N. Wacker	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 110 N. Wacker	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing item	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing	Nov. 14, 2012 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing sqft item	Aug. 15, 2012 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center	Apr. 26, 2012 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway	Dec. 05, 2011 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Dec. 31, 2012 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Sep. 30, 2013 Operating Assets Columbia Regional Building item	Sep. 30, 2013 Strategic Developments	Dec. 31, 2012 Strategic Developments	Sep. 30, 2013 Strategic Developments The Shops at Summerlin S108	Dec. 31, 2012 Strategic Developments The Shops at Summerlin S108	Sep. 30, 2013 Strategic Developments The Shops at Summerlin S128	Dec. 31, 2012 Strategic Developments The Shops at Summerlin S128	Sep. 11, 2013 Strategic Developments Two Hughes Landing item sqft acre	Sep. 30, 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)													2.93%	2.93%						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%			3.60%	3.60%	3.38%	3.38%			3.75%	3.75%			3.94%	3.94%	3.94%		4.88%	4.88%		3.68%	3.68%	5.21%	5.21%	2.83%				4.25%	4.25%		4.79%	4.79%		4.88%	4.88%	2.18%			5.95%	5.95%	6.05%	6.05%		2.83%
Land, buildings and equipment and developments in progress pledged as collateral	$ 1,600,000,000
Maximum Facility Amount					22,700,000							270,000,000	250,000,000		125,000,000	125,000,000						140,000,000																			250,000,000															95,000,000		29,000,000		38,000,000												23,008,000								41,230,000
Maximum outstanding balance																						30,000,000
Total mortgages, notes and loans payable	765,980,000	688,312,000					21,694,000	612,000	233,317,000	240,195,000			176,662,000	176,704,000				18,100,000		18,066,000	18,066,000	5,950,000	13,704,000	22,185,000	6,889,000	10,501,000	5,625,000	5,739,000	4,423,000	4,822,000	946,000	1,067,000	747,000	787,000	305,000	324,000	506,814,000	443,218,000	12,000	41,000	228,716,000	229,000,000			55,584,000	55,584,000	55,600,000		52,000,000	52,000,000	9,150,000		39,467,000	40,140,000		36,100,000	36,100,000	29,000,000	29,000,000	17,467,000	10,000			16,287,000	16,037,000		14,450,000	14,450,000		13,476,000	13,706,000	4,225,000	4,155,000	4,287,000	520,000	586,000	3,635,000	3,701,000
Variable rate basis											one-month LIBOR	one-month LIBOR	one-month LIBOR							three-month LIBOR		LIBOR																			one-month LIBOR								one-month LIBOR							one-month LIBOR		one-month LIBOR																						one-month LIBOR
Notional amount			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%	4.00%								2.75%		3.25%																			2.50%								2.65%							3.50%		2.25%		2.65%																				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																																								143,000,000																	29,000,000
Specified limit of draws																																																																								500,000
Fixed interest rate per swap (as a percent)																																									3.80%																	5.21%
Term of debt instrument													3 years				10 years					3 years
Fixed interest rate (as a percent)					3.00%	6.875%														5.50%																									3.75%																			4.25%		4.79%
Minimum interest rate (as a percent)												0.00%	5.00%									5.00%
Amount of borrowings																																																43,300,000				41,000,000											16,000,000			14,500,000			14,000,000
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																																																																2,800,000
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
Area of office building to be constructed using proceeds from loan																																																232,000														197,000																	197,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	3.75%	4.49%																																							3.38%
Corporate recourse guarantee amount																																																										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																																																							95,000,000
Number of extension options													2																																				2							3				2												2								2
Option to extend, term																																																												1 year																				1 year
Number of rooms in property securing debt (in rooms)																																																								440
Area of land securing debt (in acres)																																																								40
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																																									21,300,000
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																																																														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																																																																															630
Number of office buildings																																																																																	11
Amount of debt issued						750,000,000
Net proceeds from the transaction						$ 739,600,000
Period for which interest rate is fixed																	5 years
Period for which interest rate is floating																	5 years