Debt	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	Debt Notes Payable - Homebuilding At September 30, 2012, borrowing availability under the Credit Facility was $72.6 million in accordance with the borrowing base calculation, and there were no borrowings outstanding and $17.8 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility, leaving net remaining borrowing availability of $54.8 million. At September 30, 2012, the Company had pledged $187.1 million in aggregate book value of inventory to secure any borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. At September 30, 2012, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants of the Credit Facility. During the three months ended September 30, 2012, the Company extended the maturity dates on two of the Letter of Credit Facilities for an additional year to August 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively, while reducing the maximum available amounts thereunder to $5.0 million and $8.0 million, respectively, and also elected not to extend the maturity of one Letter of Credit Facility that expired and terminated an uncommitted $5.0 million Letter of Credit Facility for the issuance of letters of credit under which there were no letters of credit remaining outstanding at the time of termination. At September 30, 2012, there was $8.2 million of outstanding letters of credit under the Company's three remaining secured Letter of Credit Facilities, which were collateralized with $8.3 million of the Company's cash. Notes Payable — Financial Services In September 2012 we entered into the Third Amendment to the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement which increased our maximum principal amount permitted to be outstanding at any one time in aggregate under all warehouse credit lines from $75.0 million to $100.0 million. At September 30, 2012, M/I Financial had $54.8 million outstanding under the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement and was in compliance with all financial covenants of that agreement. Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes In September 2012, the Company issued $57.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes. The 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes will bear interest at a rate of 3.25% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year beginning on March 15, 2013. The 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes mature on September 15, 2017. At any time prior to the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders may convert their 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes into the Company's common shares. The conversion rate will initially equal 42.0159 shares per $1,000 of their principal amount. This corresponds to an initial conversion price of approximately $23.80 per common share. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events. The 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior subordinated unsecured basis by those subsidiaries of the Company that are guarantors under the Company's 2018 Senior Notes. The 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes are senior subordinated unsecured obligations of the Company and the subsidiary guarantors and will be subordinated in right of payment to our existing and future senior indebtedness and will also be effectively subordinated to our existing and future secured indebtedness, The indenture governing the 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes provides that we may not redeem the notes prior to their stated maturity date, but also contains provisions requiring the Company to repurchase the notes (subject to certain exceptions), at a holder's option, upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture). Senior Notes At maturity, on April 2, 2012, the Company repaid the $41.4 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of its 6.875% Senior Notes due 2012 (the “2012 Senior Notes”). In May 2012, the Company issued an additional $30.0 million of 2018 Senior Notes under the indenture pursuant to which the Company's outstanding $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2018 Senior Notes (the "Original Senior Notes") were issued and with substantially identical terms to the terms of the Original Senior Notes. As of September 30, 2012, we had $230.0 million of our 2018 Senior Notes outstanding. The 2018 Senior Notes are general, unsecured senior obligations of the Company and the subsidiary guarantors and rank equally in right of payment with all our existing and future unsecured senior indebtedness. The 2018 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of our subsidiaries, with the exception of subsidiaries that are primarily engaged in the business of mortgage financing, the origination of mortgages for resale, title insurance or similar financial businesses relating to the homebuilding and home sales business and certain subsidiaries that are not wholly-owned by the Company or another subsidiary, and certain subsidiaries that are otherwise designated by the Company as Unrestricted Subsidiaries in accordance with the terms of the indenture. The indenture governing our 2018 Senior Notes limits our ability to pay dividends on, and repurchase, our common shares and 9.75% Series A Preferred Shares to the amount of the positive balance in our “restricted payments basket,” as defined in the indenture. From the third quarter of 2008 until the closing of our offering of common shares in September 2012, we were contractually prohibited from paying dividends and repurchasing shares due to deficits in our restricted payments basket. At September 30, 2012, after giving effect to the proceeds from the sale of common shares and our profitable operations during third quarter 2012, our restricted payment basket had a positive balance of $36.6 million. As a result, we are permitted by the indenture to pay dividends on, and repurchase, our common shares and 9.75% Series A Preferred Shares to the extent of such positive balance.

Debt

Notes Payable - Homebuilding

At September 30, 2012, borrowing availability under the Credit Facility was $72.6 million in accordance with the borrowing base calculation, and there were no borrowings outstanding and $17.8 million of letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility, leaving net remaining borrowing availability of $54.8 million. At September 30, 2012, the Company had pledged $187.1 million in aggregate book value of inventory to secure any borrowings and letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. At September 30, 2012, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants of the Credit Facility.

During the three months ended September 30, 2012, the Company extended the maturity dates on two of the Letter of Credit Facilities for an additional year to August 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively, while reducing the maximum available amounts thereunder to $5.0 million and $8.0 million, respectively, and also elected not to extend the maturity of one Letter of Credit Facility that expired and terminated an uncommitted $5.0 million Letter of Credit Facility for the issuance of letters of credit under which there were no letters of credit remaining outstanding at the time of termination.

At September 30, 2012, there was $8.2 million of outstanding letters of credit under the Company's three remaining secured Letter of Credit Facilities, which were collateralized with $8.3 million of the Company's cash.

Notes Payable — Financial Services

In September 2012 we entered into the Third Amendment to the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement which increased our maximum principal amount permitted to be outstanding at any one time in aggregate under all warehouse credit lines from $75.0 million to $100.0 million.

At September 30, 2012, M/I Financial had $54.8 million outstanding under the MIF Mortgage Warehousing Agreement and was in compliance with all financial covenants of that agreement.

Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes

In September 2012, the Company issued $57.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes. The 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes will bear interest at a rate of 3.25% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year beginning on March 15, 2013. The 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes mature on September 15, 2017. At any time prior to the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders may convert their 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes into the Company's common shares. The conversion rate will initially equal 42.0159 shares per $1,000 of their principal amount. This corresponds to an initial conversion price of approximately $23.80 per common share. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events. The 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior subordinated unsecured basis by those subsidiaries of the Company that are guarantors under the Company's 2018 Senior Notes. The 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes are senior subordinated unsecured obligations of the Company and the subsidiary guarantors and will be subordinated in right of payment to our existing and future senior indebtedness and will also be effectively subordinated to our existing and future secured indebtedness, The indenture governing the 2017 Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes provides that we may not redeem the notes prior to their stated maturity date, but also contains provisions requiring the Company to repurchase the notes (subject to certain exceptions), at a holder's option, upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture).

Senior Notes

At maturity, on April 2, 2012, the Company repaid the $41.4 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of its 6.875% Senior Notes due 2012 (the “2012 Senior Notes”). In May 2012, the Company issued an additional $30.0 million of 2018 Senior Notes under the indenture pursuant to which the Company's outstanding $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2018 Senior Notes (the "Original Senior Notes") were issued and with substantially identical terms to the terms of the Original Senior Notes. As of September 30, 2012, we had $230.0 million of our 2018 Senior Notes outstanding. The 2018 Senior Notes are general, unsecured senior obligations of the Company and the subsidiary guarantors and rank equally in right of payment with all our existing and future unsecured senior indebtedness. The 2018 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of our subsidiaries, with the exception of subsidiaries that are primarily engaged in the business of mortgage financing, the origination of mortgages for resale, title insurance or similar financial businesses relating to the homebuilding and home sales business and certain subsidiaries that are not wholly-owned by the Company or another subsidiary, and certain subsidiaries that are otherwise designated by the Company as Unrestricted Subsidiaries in accordance with the terms of the indenture.

The indenture governing our 2018 Senior Notes limits our ability to pay dividends on, and repurchase, our common shares and 9.75% Series A Preferred Shares to the amount of the positive balance in our “restricted payments basket,” as defined in the indenture. From the third quarter of 2008 until the closing of our offering of common shares in September 2012, we were contractually prohibited from paying dividends and repurchasing shares due to deficits in our restricted payments basket. At September 30, 2012, after giving effect to the proceeds from the sale of common shares and our profitable operations during third quarter 2012, our restricted payment basket had a positive balance of $36.6 million. As a result, we are permitted by the indenture to pay dividends on, and repurchase, our common shares and 9.75% Series A Preferred Shares to the extent of such positive balance.