Debt (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Notes payable and senior notes	$ 161,728,000
Total	160,994,000	$ 155,966,000
Debt issuance costs	(734,000)	(1,524,000)
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2017	120,785,000
2018	40,943,000
2019	0
Interest	12,500,000	11,600,000	$ 4,000,000
Interest costs capitalized related to construction and real estate development costs	12,500,000	11,600,000	3,800,000
Restricted net assets	134,300,000
Real Estate Operations
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	238,900,000	232,600,000
Remaining borrowing capacity	77,200,000	75,100,000
Notes Payable And Senior Notes
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Notes payable and senior notes	161,728,000	157,490,000
Senior Notes
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Notes payable and senior notes	$ 74,871,000	$ 74,710,000
Mortgages
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	6.50%	6.40%
LIBOR Plus 3.75% through 2016 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate		$ 34,528,000
Basis spread	3.75%
Prime Plus 1.75% through 2016 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate		717,000
Basis spread	1.75%
LIBOR Plus 3.00% Through 2016 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate		4,832,000
Basis spread	3.00%
LIBOR Plus 3.50% Through 2017 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate	$ 4,693,000	9,785,000
Basis spread	3.50%
LIBOR Plus 3.75% Through 2017 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate	$ 31,533,000	18,456,000
Basis spread	3.75%
LIBOR Plus 2.75% Through 2018 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate	$ 10,500,000
Basis spread	2.75%
LIBOR Plus 3.75% Through 2018 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate	$ 26,444,000
Basis spread	3.75%
5.50% through 2016 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate		2,342,000
5.50% through 2017 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate	$ 2,476,000
Interest rate	5.50%
5.00% through 2017 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Variable rate	$ 5,607,000	4,581,000
Interest rate	5.00%
10% payments through 2017 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Fixed rate	$ 1,604,000	1,604,000
Interest rate	10.00%
No stated interest, payments through 2017 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Fixed rate		1,935,000
Interest rate	0.00%
8% payments through 2018 | Notes Payable
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Fixed rate	$ 4,000,000	$ 4,000,000
Interest rate	8.00%
8.5% Senior Notes Due 2017 | Senior Notes
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt issued			$ 75,000,000
8.5% Senior Notes Due 2017 | Senior Notes | Subsidiaries
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum allowed debt to tangible assets	45.00%
Maximum secured debt allowed	$ 75,000,000
Maximum secured debt to tangible assets ratio	30.00%
Maximum annual acquisition of unimproved real property allowed	$ 75,000,000
Maximum acquisition of unimproved real property over term of debt allowed	$ 150,000,000