Real Estate Entities and Investments in Affiliates - Consolidated Real Estate Entities (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 project	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Projects Reclassified from Property and Equipment to Real Estate Held for Development and Sale	2
Number of Projects that were Sold or Disposed of	3
Impairment of Real Estate	$ 1,452,000	$ 86,341,000	$ 0
Real estate held for development and sale	67,037,000	75,716,000
Other current assets	35,171,000	42,555,000
Total current assets	909,722,000	913,856,000
Property and equipment, net	447,140,000	473,607,000
Other noncurrent assets	80,616,000	82,401,000
Debt, Recourse and Nonrecourse, Current Maturities	23,071,000	29,760,000
Current maturities of non-recourse debt	23,071,000	29,760,000
Total current liabilities	448,468,000	438,777,000
Long-term non-recourse debt	9,912,000	25,337,000
Other long-term liabilities	49,221,000	47,996,000
CALIFORNIA
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Projects that were Sold or Disposed of	1
OREGON
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Projects that were Sold or Disposed of	1
Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		20,000,000
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Increase in Financial Support Authorization	12,000,000	13,500,000
Number of Projects with Authorization for Increase in Financial or Other Support	3	3
Authorized Investment Yet to be Contributed	7,200,000
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Enterprise Improvement Plan [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percent of Real Estate Investments With Impairment Charges	0.33
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Real estate held for development and sale	67,037,000	75,716,000
Other current assets	4,715,000	2,453,000
Total current assets	71,752,000	78,169,000
Property and equipment, net	0	3,771,000
Other noncurrent assets	0	1,095,000
Total assets	71,752,000	83,035,000
Debt, Recourse and Nonrecourse, Current Maturities	22,571,000	29,760,000
Current maturities of non-recourse debt	22,571,000	29,760,000
Other current liabilities	1,794,000	2,619,000
Total current liabilities	24,365,000	32,379,000
Long-term non-recourse debt	9,912,000	25,337,000
Other long-term liabilities	74,000	404,000
Total liabilities	34,351,000	58,120,000
Number of projects	9	10
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | Residential real estate [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Real estate held for development and sale	54,610,000	55,289,000
Number of projects	4	5
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | Commercial real estate [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Real estate held for development and sale	12,427,000	20,427,000
Number of projects	5	5
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | WASHINGTON | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Real estate held for development and sale	47,600,000	44,598,000
Number of projects	2	2
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Real estate held for development and sale	4,006,000	13,437,000
Number of projects	5	6
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | TEXAS | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Real estate held for development and sale	8,859,000	8,859,000
Number of projects	1	1
Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | OREGON | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Real estate held for development and sale	$ 6,572,000	$ 8,822,000
Number of projects	1	1