Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 57,829	$ 36,587
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities	0	19,703
Purchase of investment securities	(1,148)	(1,788)
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	72	62,219
Purchase of long-term investments	(5,000)	(10,000)
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	(9,667)	(6,712)
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	6,221	2,425
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	(620)	(677)
(Increase) decrease in non-current restricted assets	(53)	1,775
Issuance of notes receivable	(234)	(161)
Proceeds from sale of townhomes	0	19,629
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	404	9
Capital expenditures	(7,394)	(4,872)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(17,419)	81,550
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	14,018	77
Deferred financing costs	(315)	0
Repayments of debt	(13,493)	(2,281)
Borrowings under revolver	525,350	486,298
Repayments on revolver	(532,082)	(521,995)
Capital contributions received	0	0
Intercompany dividends paid	0	0
Dividends and distributions on common stock	(66,112)	(61,846)
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	45	966
Tax benefit from options exercised	4	808
Net cash used in financing activities	(72,585)	(97,973)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(32,175)	20,164
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	240,923	299,825
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	208,748	319,989
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	22,900	28,423
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities		0
Purchase of investment securities	0	0
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	0	62,219
Purchase of long-term investments	(5,000)	(10,000)
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	(425)	(315)
(Increase) decrease in non-current restricted assets	268	781
Issuance of notes receivable	(234)	(161)
Proceeds from sale of townhomes		0
Investments in subsidiaries	(1,008)	(2,628)
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	393	0
Capital expenditures	(961)	(11)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(6,967)	49,885
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	0	0
Deferred financing costs	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Borrowings under revolver	0	0
Repayments on revolver	0	0
Capital contributions received	0	0
Intercompany dividends paid	0	0
Dividends and distributions on common stock	(66,112)	(61,846)
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	45	966
Tax benefit from options exercised	4	808
Net cash used in financing activities	(66,063)	(60,072)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(50,130)	18,236
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	238,262	283,409
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	188,132	301,645
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	74,473	76,133
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities		19,703
Purchase of investment securities	(1,148)	(1,788)
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	0	0
Purchase of long-term investments	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	(195)	(362)
(Increase) decrease in non-current restricted assets	(321)	994
Issuance of notes receivable	0	0
Proceeds from sale of townhomes		0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	11	0
Capital expenditures	(6,334)	(4,813)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(7,987)	13,734
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	14,018	77
Deferred financing costs	(315)
Repayments of debt	(13,428)	(2,221)
Borrowings under revolver	525,350	486,298
Repayments on revolver	(532,082)	(521,995)
Capital contributions received	950	2,588
Intercompany dividends paid	(43,500)	(53,303)
Dividends and distributions on common stock	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	0	0
Tax benefit from options exercised	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(49,007)	(88,556)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	17,479	1,311
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	2,488	16,214
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	19,967	17,525
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	5,557	3,472
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities		0
Purchase of investment securities	0	0
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	72	0
Purchase of long-term investments	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	(9,667)	(6,712)
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	6,221	2,425
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	0	0
(Increase) decrease in non-current restricted assets	0	0
Issuance of notes receivable	0	0
Proceeds from sale of townhomes		19,629
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	0	9
Capital expenditures	(99)	(48)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(3,473)	15,303
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	0	0
Deferred financing costs	0
Repayments of debt	(65)	(60)
Borrowings under revolver	0	0
Repayments on revolver	0	0
Capital contributions received	58	40
Intercompany dividends paid	(1,601)	(18,138)
Dividends and distributions on common stock	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	0	0
Tax benefit from options exercised	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(1,608)	(18,158)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	476	617
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	173	202
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	649	819
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(45,101)	(71,441)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities		0
Purchase of investment securities	0	0
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	0	0
Purchase of long-term investments	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	0	0
(Increase) decrease in non-current restricted assets	0	0
Issuance of notes receivable	0	0
Proceeds from sale of townhomes		0
Investments in subsidiaries	1,008	2,628
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	0	0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	1,008	2,628
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	0	0
Deferred financing costs	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Borrowings under revolver	0	0
Repayments on revolver	0	0
Capital contributions received	(1,008)	(2,628)
Intercompany dividends paid	45,101	71,441
Dividends and distributions on common stock	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	0	0
Tax benefit from options exercised	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	44,093	68,813
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0