Debt Debt (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Oct. 20, 2018
Minimum Tangible Net Worth	$ 383,200
Leverage ratio	60.00%
Notes payable bank - homebuilding operations	$ 43,800	$ 30,000
Debt Instrument, Unused Borrowing Capacity, Amount	437,180
letters of credit outstanding under credit facility	39,805
Maximum borrowing availability subject to limit	$ 316,400
Number of Secured Letters of Credit Outstanding under Credit Facility	3
Letters of Credit Outstanding Under Letter of Credit Facilities	$ 2,698	6,456
Aggregate Capacity of Secured Letters of Credit under Credit Facility	12,000
Uncommitted Letters of Credit	4,900
Restricted Cash for Secured Letter of Credit Agreements	2,741	6,590
Senior notes - net	294,727	$ 226,099
Low Range Uncommitted Letter of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum Available Amounts under Letter of Credit Facilities	3,000
High Range Uncommittted Letter of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum Available Amounts under Letter of Credit Facilities	5,000
First Amendment to New Unsecured Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Homebuilding Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	300,000
Sub-limit for letters of credit	125,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 400,000
Minimum [Member] | First Amendment to New Unsecured Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis Points Spread on Variable Rate - Credit Facility	175
Maximum [Member] | First Amendment to New Unsecured Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis Points Spread on Variable Rate - Credit Facility	275
Consolidated EBITDA [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest Coverage Ratio	1.50
Consolidated Interest Incurred [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest Coverage Ratio	1.00
2018 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.00%
Convertible Subordinated Debt	$ 86,250
2021 Senior Notes [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Senior notes - net	$ 300,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.75%
2017 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.25%
Convertible Subordinated Debt	$ 57,500