Real Estate Entities and Investments in Affiliates - Investments in Affiliates (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Other non-cash impairment charges	$ 2,752,000	$ 2,752,000	$ 0
Investments in affiliates	28,521,000	28,521,000	32,932,000	31,071,000
Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Assets	158,431,000	158,431,000	152,358,000	157,771,000
Equity Method Investments Summarized Financial Information Net Assets	87,197,000	87,197,000	79,666,000	82,511,000
Cost Method Investments	0	0	6,450,000	2,752,000
Investments in affiliates	28,521,000	28,521,000	32,932,000	31,071,000
Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] \| Other Affiliates [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	28,521,000	28,521,000	26,482,000	28,319,000
Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] \| Equity Method Investments in Non Real Estate Affiliate [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	10,958,000	10,958,000	10,617,000	11,841,000
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Number of projects	7	7	12	9
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] \| Residential real estate [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Number of projects	3	3	5	4
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] \| Commercial real estate [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Number of projects	4	4	7	5
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] \| TEXAS \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Number of projects	1	1	1	1
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] \| CALIFORNIA \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Number of projects	4	4	8	5
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] \| OREGON \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Number of projects	0	0	1	1
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] \| WASHINGTON \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Number of projects	2	2	2	2
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] \| Equity Method investments in Real Estate Affiliates [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	17,563,000	17,563,000	15,865,000	16,478,000
Number of projects	5	5	5	5
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] \| Residential real estate [Member] \| Equity Method investments in Real Estate Affiliates [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	12,217,000	12,217,000	11,391,000	11,903,000
Number of projects	2	2	2	2
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] \| Commercial real estate [Member] \| Equity Method investments in Real Estate Affiliates [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	5,346,000	5,346,000	4,474,000	4,575,000
Number of projects	3	3	3	3
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] \| TEXAS \| Equity Method investments in Real Estate Affiliates [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	17,563,000	17,563,000	15,865,000	16,478,000
Number of projects	5	5	5	5
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Real Estate Development Projects Range of Total Assets	2,900,000	2,900,000
Real Estate Segment [Member] \| Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Real Estate Entities [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]
Real Estate Development Projects Range of Total Assets	$ 48,300,000	$ 48,300,000

Real Estate Entities and Investments in Affiliates - Investments in Affiliates (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Jun. 30, 2011

Dec. 31, 2011

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Other non-cash impairment charges

$ 2,752,000

$ 0

Investments in affiliates

28,521,000

32,932,000

31,071,000

Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Assets

158,431,000

152,358,000

157,771,000

Equity Method Investments Summarized Financial Information Net Assets

87,197,000

79,666,000

82,511,000

Cost Method Investments

6,450,000

2,752,000

Investments in affiliates

28,521,000

32,932,000

31,071,000

Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] | Other Affiliates [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Equity Method Investments

28,521,000

26,482,000

28,319,000

Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] | Equity Method Investments in Non Real Estate Affiliate [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Equity Method Investments

10,958,000

10,617,000

11,841,000

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Number of projects

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | Residential real estate [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Number of projects

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | Commercial real estate [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Number of projects

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | TEXAS | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Number of projects

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Number of projects

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | OREGON | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Number of projects

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Consolidated [Member] | WASHINGTON | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Number of projects

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] | Equity Method investments in Real Estate Affiliates [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Equity Method Investments

17,563,000

15,865,000

16,478,000

Number of projects

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Equity Method Investments

12,217,000

11,391,000

11,903,000

Number of projects

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Equity Method Investments

5,346,000

4,474,000

4,575,000

Number of projects

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Equity Method Investments

17,563,000

15,865,000

16,478,000

Number of projects

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Real Estate Development Projects Range of Total Assets

2,900,000

Real Estate Segment [Member] | Joint Venture Unconsolidated [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Real Estate Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items]

Real Estate Development Projects Range of Total Assets

$ 48,300,000

- Definition

This item represents the aggregate carrying amount of all cost-method investments as reported on or included in the balance sheet. The original cost of the investments may differ from the aggregate carrying amount disclosed due to various adjustments such as: (i) dividends received in excess of earnings after the date of investment that are considered a return of investment and therefore recorded as reductions to cost of the investment, or (ii) a series of operating losses of an investee or other factors which may indicate that a decrease in value of the investment has occurred which is other than temporary and accordingly such decrease in value has been recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)

-Number 18

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 325

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-Publisher FASB

-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)

-Number FAS115-1/124-1

-Paragraph 18

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 325

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)

-Number 03-1

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

- Definition

This item represents an other than temporary decline in value that has been recognized against an investment accounted for under the cost method of accounting. The excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the investment represents the amount of the write down which is or was reflected in earnings. The written down value is a new cost basis with the adjusted value of the investment becoming its new carrying value. Evidence of a loss in value might include, but would not necessarily be limited to, absence of an ability to recover the carrying amount of the investment or inability of the investee to sustain an earnings capacity which would justify the carrying amount of the investment.

+ References+ Details

- Definition

The amount of assets reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)

-Number 18

-Paragraph 20

-Subparagraph d

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

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+ Details