Inventories - Schedule of Inventory Table (Detail) (Homebuilding [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Inventories [Line Items]
Total Inventories	$ 897,186	$ 806,052
West [Member]
Inventories [Line Items]
Housing completed or under construction	199,344	121,343
Land and land under development	142,158	199,941
Mountain [Member]
Inventories [Line Items]
Housing completed or under construction	177,913	80,964
Land and land under development	133,100	164,961
East [Member]
Inventories [Line Items]
Housing completed or under construction	105,631	81,623
Land and land under development	106,691	127,291
Other [Member]
Inventories [Line Items]
Housing completed or under construction	21,128	16,784
Land and land under development	11,221	13,145
Subtotal [Member]
Inventories [Line Items]
Housing completed or under construction	504,016	300,714
Land and land under development	$ 393,170	$ 505,338