MORTGAGES, NOTES AND LOANS PAYABLE (Details 2) (USD $)			0 Months Ended										6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended															6 Months Ended								0 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended						6 Months Ended					0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended											6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended				0 Months Ended						0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Oct. 02, 2013 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2021	Jun. 30, 2014 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2021	Dec. 31, 2013 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2021	Jun. 30, 2014 Columbia Regional Building	Jun. 30, 2014 One Hughes Landing	May 31, 2012 Millennium Waterway Apartments	Jun. 30, 2014 Other Corporate Financing Arrangements	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Corporate Financing Arrangements	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland	Jun. 30, 2012 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Land Loan	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Land Loan	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Bridgeland Development Loan	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S108	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S108	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S124	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S124	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128C	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S128C	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S132	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S132	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S151	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin South S151	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities Summerlin West S808/810	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities Summerlin West S808/810	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility item	Dec. 31, 2013 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands TWL Facility	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands Term loan	Jun. 30, 2014 Master Planned Communities The Woodlands Revolving credit line	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets Capital lease obligations	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Capital lease obligations	Jun. 27, 2014 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center NEW item	Apr. 15, 2014 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center NEW	Aug. 15, 2012 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center NEW	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center NEW	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 70 Columbia Corporate Center NEW	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets Columbia Regional Building item	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Columbia Regional Building	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing item	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing	Nov. 14, 2012 Operating Assets One Hughes Landing item sqft	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	May 31, 2012 Operating Assets Millennium Waterway Apartments	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets 110 N. Wacker	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 110 N. Wacker	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Dec. 05, 2011 Operating Assets 9303 New Trails	Oct. 24, 2013 Operating Assets Outlet Collection at Riverwalk item	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets Outlet Collection at Riverwalk	Feb. 08, 2013 Operating Assets The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center item acre	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway Avenue	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway Avenue	Apr. 26, 2012 Operating Assets 20/25 Waterway Avenue	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square	Aug. 02, 2013 Operating Assets 3 Waterway Square sqft item	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets 4 Waterway Square	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets 4 Waterway Square	Dec. 05, 2011 Operating Assets 4 Waterway Square	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets Ward Village	Dec. 31, 2013 Operating Assets Ward Village	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets Ward Village Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Operating Assets Ward Village Maximum	Jun. 30, 2014 Strategic Developments	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments	Jul. 15, 2014 Strategic Developments Downtown Summerlin Subsequent event item	Jul. 15, 2014 Strategic Developments Downtown Summerlin Maximum Subsequent event	Jun. 30, 2014 Strategic Developments Downtown Summerlin S108	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments Downtown Summerlin S108	Jun. 30, 2014 Strategic Developments Downtown Summerlin S128	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments Downtown Summerlin S128	Jun. 30, 2014 Strategic Developments ExxonMobil	Jun. 30, 2014 Strategic Developments ExxonMobil item	Sep. 11, 2013 Strategic Developments Two Hughes Landing item sqft acre	Jun. 30, 2014 Strategic Developments Two Hughes Landing item	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments Two Hughes Landing	Dec. 20, 2013 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing Retail item sqft	Jun. 30, 2014 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing Retail	Dec. 31, 2013 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing Retail	Nov. 25, 2013 Strategic Developments One Lake's Edge item acre sqft	Jun. 30, 2014 Strategic Developments One Lake's Edge	Sep. 11, 2013 Strategic Developments Hughes Landing Maximum item
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)				6.88%					3.00%							5.50%		5.00%	5.95%		5.95%		7.30%		6.05%		6.00%		6.00%		7.13%		2.90%						3.60%					2.40%		2.15%		2.80%			3.75%			5.21%		4.88%				2.90%		3.65%		4.79%			3.94%		3.94%	4.88%			3.35%								5.95%		6.05%		2.05%	2.05%		2.80%			2.10%			2.65%
Facility Amount						$ 23,000,000	$ 38,000,000		$ 22,700,000									$ 140,000,000															$ 250,000,000		$ 125,000,000	$ 125,000,000								$ 20,000,000		$ 23,008,000		$ 38,000,000												$ 64,400,000		$ 95,000,000											$ 250,000,000						$ 311,800,000						$ 143,000,000	$ 143,000,000		$ 41,230,000			$ 36,575,000			$ 73,525,000
Maximum outstanding balance																		30,000,000
Total mortgages, notes and loans payable	1,639,133,000	1,514,623,000		750,000,000	750,000,000				20,620,000	21,309,000	231,675,000	223,808,000		18,100,000		15,874,000	18,066,000	16,447,000	696,000	823,000	263,000	285,000	665,000	707,000	5,392,000	5,511,000	3,272,000	3,962,000	6,421,000	6,623,000	5,982,000	11,168,000	176,663,000	176,663,000			602,606,000	523,312,000	168,000	205,000				20,000,000	16,287,000	18,037,000	9,207,000	32,884,000	19,128,000		55,584,000	55,584,000	55,600,000	29,000,000	29,000,000	13,238,000	13,398,000			35,555,000		54,222,000	36,100,000	14,434,000	14,450,000		52,000,000	52,000,000	52,000,000	38,768,000	39,237,000		238,716,000	238,716,000			42,427,000	4,944,000			388,000	452,000	3,506,000	3,569,000	7,512,000	7,512,000		16,937,000	10,000		11,145,000	913,000		2,939,000
Unamortized underwriting fees	(8,195,000)	(8,750,000)
Corporate recourse guarantee amount									20,600,000																																													7,000,000						35,600,000
Variable rate basis																three-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						one-month LIBOR			one-month LIBOR		one-month LIBOR			one-month LIBOR
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%		3.25%															2.75%								2.25%		2.25%					2.60%											2.75%			3.50%											2.50%						2.25%						1.90%			2.65%		1.95%			2.50%
Recourse on loan (as a percent)																																																												50.00%																				35.00%
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					3 years															3 years
Fixed interest rate (as a percent)			6.875%					3.75%								5.50%																																																		4.79%
Minimum interest rate (as a percent)																		5.00%
Amount utilized																		65,700,000
Annual principal payments as a percentage of outstanding principal balance																5.00%
Number of stories of building to be constructed with loan proceeds																																																		8																			11																		8						8
Area of office building to be constructed using proceeds from loan																																																		197,000																			232,000																		197,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)	5.05%	5.25%
Land, buildings and equipment and developments in progress pledged as collateral	2,100,000,000
Extension period at borrower's option																																	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					2		2											2			3																	2									2		2			2
Option to extend, term																																									1 year							1 year											1 year																				1 year						1 year			1 year		1 year			1 year
Debt service coverage ratio																																																																															1.25
Occupancy percentage																																																																															90.00%
Decrease in exposure of outstanding principal (as a percent)																																																												25.00%																			10.00%
Number of office buildings substantially pre-leased																																																																																						2
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																																																												11.00%															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)																																																														40																									66						2.92
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						750
Number of office buildings																																																																																															11
Amount of debt issued			750,000,000																																						20,000,000		16,000,000															14,000,000								14,500,000						41,000,000
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			22,289
Number of multi-family units to be constructed																																																																																													390
Area of Real Estate Property																																																																																													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 proceeds			741,300,000
Cash paid in full satisfaction of loan assumed as part of the acquisition																																										17,000,000
Percentage of appreciation in the market value of building																																										30.00%
Percentage of cumulative preferred return on the property																																										10.00%
Amount of participation right																																										$ 700,000