MORTGAGES, NOTES AND LOANS PAYABLE, NET (Schedule of Debt by Property) (Details) - USD ($)				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 13, 2017	Aug. 11, 2017	Apr. 27, 2017	May 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	May 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Mar. 16, 2017	Feb. 23, 2017	Jan. 19, 2017
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount					$ 3,215,211,000		$ 1,000,000,000
Unamortized bond issuance costs					(6,096,000)		(6,898,000)
Deferred financing costs					(27,902,000)		(12,946,000)
Total					3,181,213,000		2,857,945,000
Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount					226,608,000		239,764,000
Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount					1,636,700,000		1,570,512,000
Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount					$ 339,494,000		52,530,000
Hughes Landing Boulevard1725 To35 | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.14%
Facility amount					$ 143,000,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		117,417,000
Westin At The Woodlands | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.14%
Facility amount					$ 57,946,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		57,946,000
Outlet At Riverwalk Properties | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.00%
Carrying amount					$ 47,552,000		53,841,000
Three Hughes Landing | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.10%
Facility amount					$ 62,000,000
Carrying amount					$ 55,759,000		45,058,000
Lakeland Village Center at Bridgeland | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.84%
Facility amount					$ 14,000,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		11,470,000
Embassy Suites at Hughes Landing | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.99%
Facility amount					$ 37,100,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		31,245,000
The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.75%
Carrying amount					$ 62,500,000		65,500,000
One Merriweather | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.64%
Facility amount					$ 49,929,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		42,332,000
Downtown Summerlin | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.65%
Facility amount	$ 275,900,000
Carrying amount					$ 266,755,000		274,088,000
Two Merriweather Columbia Md | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.00%
Facility amount					$ 33,156,000
Carrying amount					$ 24,000,000		19,429,000
Hhc242 Self Storage Facility | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.10%
Facility amount					$ 6,658,000
Carrying amount					$ 6,604,000		6,243,000
Hhc2978 Self Storage Facility | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.10%
Facility amount					$ 6,368,000
Carrying amount					$ 6,042,000		5,634,000
10 - 70 Columbia Corporate Center | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.49%
Carrying amount					$ 0		20,000,000
One Mall North | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.74%
Carrying amount					$ 0		14,463,000
Columbia Corporate Center1060 | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.33%
Carrying amount					$ 0		80,000,000
Ward Village | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.82%
Carrying amount					$ 0		238,718,000
Lakefront North | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.50%
Facility amount					$ 51,821,000
Carrying amount					$ 21,120,000		0
20/25 Waterway Avenue | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.79%
Carrying amount					$ 13,395,000		13,646,000
Millennium Waterway Apartments | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.75%
Carrying amount					$ 54,083,000		55,095,000
Aristocrat | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.90%
Facility amount					$ 31,118,000
Carrying amount					$ 21,296,000		0
Two Summerlin | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.90%
Facility amount					$ 33,432,000
Carrying amount					$ 14,431,000		0
Lake Woodlands Crossing Retail | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.30%
Facility amount					$ 15,523,000
Carrying amount					$ 9,539,000		0
9303 New Trails | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.88%
Carrying amount					$ 11,610,000		12,003,000
4 Waterway Square | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.88%
Carrying amount					$ 33,998,000		35,151,000
3831 Technology Forest Drive | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.50%
Carrying amount					$ 21,571,000		21,954,000
Kewalo Harbor | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.25%
Facility amount					$ 11,562,000
Carrying amount					$ 3,499,000		0
Millennium Six Pines Apartments | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.39%
Carrying amount					$ 42,500,000		42,500,000
3 Waterway Square | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.94%
Carrying amount					$ 49,013,000		50,327,000
One Hughes Landing | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.30%
Carrying amount					$ 52,000,000		52,000,000
Two Hughes Landing | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.20%
Carrying amount					$ 48,000,000		48,000,000
Hockey Ground Lease | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount					$ 141,000		0
One Lakes Edge | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.50%
Carrying amount							69,440,000		$ 69,440,000
Net assets acquired in the acquisition of Constellation | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.07%
Carrying amount					$ 24,200,000		24,200,000
Hughes Landing Retail | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					3.50%
Carrying amount					$ 35,000,000		35,000,000
Columbia Regional Building | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.48%					4.48%
Facility amount										$ 23,000,000
Carrying amount					$ 25,000,000		25,000,000			$ 25,000,000
250 Water Street | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.00%
Carrying amount					$ 129,723,000		0
Ke Kilohana | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.75%
Facility amount					$ 142,656,000
Carrying amount					$ 96,757,000		0
Ae'o | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.49%
Facility amount					$ 215,000,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		33,603,000
Fellowship Drive100 | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.00%
Facility amount						$ 51,426,000
Carrying amount					$ 35,481,000		1,000
Lakeside Row | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.75%
Facility amount					$ 34,231,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		0
Two Lakes Edge | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.65%
Facility amount					$ 74,000,000
Carrying amount					0		0
110 N Wacker | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Facility amount					$ 9,000,000
110 N Wacker | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.50%
Facility amount					$ 512,573,000
Carrying amount					$ 50,000,000		18,926,000
Percent subject to interest rate collar contract					100.00%
6100 Marriweather | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.25%
Facility amount					$ 89,844,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		0
Columbia Multi-Family | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.25%
Facility amount					$ 85,657,000
Carrying amount					$ 0		0
Tanager Apartments | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.75%
Facility amount					$ 44,100,000
Carrying amount					0		0
Other SID Bonds | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount					$ 767,000		0
Summerlin Ballpark | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.92%
Facility amount					$ 51,231,000
Carrying amount					$ 26,766,000		0
S124 | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.95%
Carrying amount					$ 0		84,000
S128 | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					7.30%
Carrying amount					$ 213,000		390,000
S128 | Downtown Summerlin | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.05%
Carrying amount					$ 2,652,000		2,812,000
S132 | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.00%
Carrying amount					$ 562,000		912,000
Woodlands Master Credit Facility | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.25%
Facility amount					$ 180,000,000
Carrying amount					$ 150,000,000		150,000,000
Bridgeland Credit Facility | Bridgeland | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.96%
Facility amount					$ 65,000,000
Carrying amount					$ 65,000,000		65,000,000
S151 | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.00%
Carrying amount					$ 913,000		3,763,000
S128 C | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.05%
Carrying amount					$ 3,211,000		4,283,000
S159 | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.00%
Carrying amount					$ 0		139,000
S812 | Summerlin West | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.00%
Carrying amount					$ 6,709,000		15,193,000
Senior Secured Credit Facility | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.61%
Facility amount					$ 700,000,000
Carrying amount					$ 615,000,000		0
Percent of loan swap for fixed rate interest					100.00%
Other Financing Arrangements
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					4.33%
Carrying amount					$ 12,409,000		$ 14,983,000
Unsecured 5.375% Senior Notes
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					5.375%			5.375%
Carrying amount					$ 1,000,000,000
Maximum
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					7.30%
Maximum | Other SID Bonds | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					7.30%
Minimum | Hockey Ground Lease | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.05%
Minimum | Other SID Bonds | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)					6.00%
One Month LIBOR
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)					2.5027%
One Month LIBOR | The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)			2.75%
One Month LIBOR | Downtown Summerlin | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)	2.15%
One Month LIBOR | Kewalo Harbor | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)		2.75%
One Month LIBOR | Fellowship Drive100 | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)				1.50%
London Inter Bank Offered Rate Three Month Libor
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)					2.8076%
Prime Rate
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)					5.50%