Note 22 - Supplemental Guarantor Information - Supplemental Condensed Combining Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 282,909	$ 180,988	$ 153,825	$ 199,338
Property and equipment, net	28,041	28,226
Deferred tax assets, net	74,888	99,107
Total Homebuilding Assets	2,528,589	2,415,899
Mortgage loans held-for-sale, net	42,600	23,100
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	1,208,519	1,159,607
Total Stockholders' Equity	1,320,070	1,256,292
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	2,528,589	2,415,899
Homebuilding Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	259,087	144,342
Marketable securities	59,770	92,387
Restricted cash	3,778	3,750
Trade and other receivables	42,492	23,314
Housing completed or under construction	874,199	747,036
Land and land under development	884,615	1,016,926
Total inventories	1,758,814	1,763,962
Intercompany receivables
Investment in subsidiaries
Property and equipment, net	28,041	28,226
Deferred tax assets, net	74,888	99,107
Metropolitan district bond securities (related party)	30,162	25,911
Other assets	60,463	65,394
Total Homebuilding Assets	2,317,495	2,246,393
Accounts payable	42,088	40,472
Accrued liabilities	144,566	122,886
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries
Revolving credit facility	15,000	15,000
Senior notes, net	841,646	840,524
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	1,043,300	1,018,882
Financial Services Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	23,822	36,646
Marketable securities	36,436	11,307
Intercompany receivables
Other assets	12,062	5,883
Total Homebuilding Assets	211,094	169,506
Mortgage loans held-for-sale, net	138,774	115,670
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	165,219	140,725
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	50,734	52,114
Mortgage repurchase facility	114,485	88,611
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents
Total Homebuilding Assets	(1,820,774)	(1,826,404)
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	(1,525,560)	(1,559,213)
Total Stockholders' Equity	(295,214)	(267,191)
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	(1,820,774)	(1,826,404)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Homebuilding Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable securities
Restricted cash
Trade and other receivables	(2,135)	(2,287)
Housing completed or under construction
Land and land under development
Total inventories
Intercompany receivables	(1,483,383)	(1,517,692)
Investment in subsidiaries	(295,214)	(267,191)
Property and equipment, net
Deferred tax assets, net	769	2,024
Metropolitan district bond securities (related party)
Other assets
Total Homebuilding Assets	(1,779,963)	(1,785,146)
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities	6,281	2,947
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries	(1,519,676)	(1,553,500)
Revolving credit facility
Senior notes, net
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	(1,513,395)	(1,550,553)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Financial Services Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable securities
Intercompany receivables	(40,042)	(39,234)
Other assets	(769)	(2,024)
Total Homebuilding Assets	(40,811)	(41,258)
Mortgage loans held-for-sale, net
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries	(3,749)	(3,426)
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	(12,165)	(8,660)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(8,416)	(5,234)
Mortgage repurchase facility
MDC Holdings [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	255,679	141,245	119,951	145,180
Total Homebuilding Assets	2,226,377	2,170,718
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	906,307	914,426
Total Stockholders' Equity	1,320,070	1,256,292
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	2,226,377	2,170,718
MDC Holdings [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Homebuilding Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	255,679	141,245
Marketable securities	59,770	92,387
Restricted cash
Trade and other receivables	5,380	5,304
Housing completed or under construction
Land and land under development
Total inventories
Intercompany receivables	1,475,291	1,509,551
Investment in subsidiaries	295,214	267,191
Property and equipment, net	25,495	26,073
Deferred tax assets, net	74,119	97,083
Metropolitan district bond securities (related party)	30,162	25,911
Other assets	5,267	5,973
Total Homebuilding Assets	2,226,377	2,170,718
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities	1,527	11,527
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries	48,134	47,375
Revolving credit facility	15,000	15,000
Senior notes, net	841,646	840,524
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	906,307	914,426
MDC Holdings [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Financial Services Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable securities
Intercompany receivables
Other assets
Total Homebuilding Assets
Mortgage loans held-for-sale, net
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries
Total Homebuilding Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Mortgage repurchase facility
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,408	3,097	2,691	3,454
Total Homebuilding Assets	1,865,792	1,855,530
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	1,623,979	1,629,506
Total Stockholders' Equity	241,813	226,024
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	1,865,792	1,855,530
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Homebuilding Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,408	3,097
Marketable securities
Restricted cash	3,778	3,750
Trade and other receivables	39,247	20,297
Housing completed or under construction	874,199	747,036
Land and land under development	884,615	1,016,926
Total inventories	1,758,814	1,763,962
Intercompany receivables	2,803	2,850
Investment in subsidiaries
Property and equipment, net	2,546	2,153
Deferred tax assets, net
Metropolitan district bond securities (related party)
Other assets	55,196	59,421
Total Homebuilding Assets	1,865,792	1,855,530
Accounts payable	42,088	40,472
Accrued liabilities	136,615	108,445
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries	1,445,276	1,480,589
Revolving credit facility
Senior notes, net
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	1,623,979	1,629,506
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Financial Services Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable securities
Intercompany receivables
Other assets
Total Homebuilding Assets
Mortgage loans held-for-sale, net
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries
Total Homebuilding Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Mortgage repurchase facility
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	23,822	36,646	$ 31,183	$ 50,704
Total Homebuilding Assets	257,194	216,055
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	203,793	174,888
Total Stockholders' Equity	53,401	41,167
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	257,194	216,055
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Homebuilding Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable securities
Restricted cash
Trade and other receivables
Housing completed or under construction
Land and land under development
Total inventories
Intercompany receivables	5,289	5,291
Investment in subsidiaries
Property and equipment, net
Deferred tax assets, net
Metropolitan district bond securities (related party)
Other assets
Total Homebuilding Assets	5,289	5,291
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities	143	(33)
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries	26,266	25,536
Revolving credit facility
Senior notes, net
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	26,409	25,503
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Financial Services Segment [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	23,822	36,646
Marketable securities	36,436	11,307
Intercompany receivables	40,042	39,234
Other assets	12,831	7,907
Total Homebuilding Assets	251,905	210,764
Mortgage loans held-for-sale, net	138,774	115,670
Advances and notes payable to parent and subsidiaries	3,749	3,426
Total Homebuilding Liabilities	177,384	149,385
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	59,150	57,348
Mortgage repurchase facility	$ 114,485	$ 88,611