Investment in Real Estate - Real Estate by Property Type and Segment (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Development property	$ 169,563,000us-gaap_DevelopmentInProcess		$ 170,790,000us-gaap_DevelopmentInProcess
Operating property	211,120,000		209,154,000
Less: Accumulated depreciation	59,561,000		58,132,000
Total operating property, net	151,559,000		151,022,000
Investment in real estate, net	321,122,000us-gaap_RealEstateInvestmentPropertyNet		321,812,000us-gaap_RealEstateInvestmentPropertyNet
Capitalized indirect costs incurred (less than in 2015)	100,000	300,000
Residential real estate
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Development property	102,987,000		102,408,000
Operating property	8,084,000		8,084,000
Commercial real estate
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Development property	59,408,000		59,405,000
Resorts and leisure
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Operating property	108,630,000		110,136,000
Leasing operations
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Development property	1,831,000		3,680,000
Operating property	75,436,000		72,045,000
Forestry
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Development property	3,278,000		3,278,000
Operating property	18,922,000		18,839,000
Other
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Operating property	48,000		50,000
Corporate
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Development property	$ 2,059,000		$ 2,019,000

Income-Producing Depreciable Operating Property

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- Definition

joe_Income Producing Depreciable Operating Property, Net of Accumulated Depreciation

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Real Estate Inventory, Capitalized Indirect Costs Incurred

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The current amount of expenditures for a real estate project that has not yet been completed.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

The cumulative amount of depreciation for real estate property held for investment purposes.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(3))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Article 7

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- Definition

Amount of real estate investment property, net of accumulated depreciation, which may include the following: (1) land available-for-sale; (2) land available-for-development; (3) investments in building and building improvements; (4) tenant allowances; (5) developments in-process; (6) rental properties; and (7) other real estate investments.

+ References

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