Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES The Company’s income tax benefit for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2012 was $715.6 million and $712.5 million, respectively, compared to income tax expense of $0.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2011 and income tax benefit of $57.8 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2011. The income tax benefit in the current year periods is due primarily to a $716.7 million reduction of the Company's deferred tax asset valuation allowance in the current quarter. The benefit from income taxes in the prior year nine-month period was due to the Company receiving a favorable result from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on a ruling request concerning capitalization of inventory costs. At June 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011, the Company had net deferred tax assets of $795.1 million and $848.5 million, respectively, offset by valuation allowances of $78.4 million and $848.5 million, respectively. The realization of the Company's deferred tax assets depends upon the existence of sufficient taxable income in future periods. During the three months ended June 30, 2012, the Company evaluated both positive and negative evidence and determined it was more likely than not that the substantial majority of the Company's deferred tax assets will be realized, which resulted in the reduction of $716.7 million of the valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets. In the Company's evaluation of the need for and level of a valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets, the most significant piece of evidence considered was the objective, direct positive evidence related to its recent financial results. The Company has generated pre-tax income in each of the five immediately preceding consecutive quarters totaling $206.4 million, and it generated more pre-tax income in the current quarter than in any of the four previous quarters. The Company closed 4,957 homes and earned $72.2 million of pre-tax income during the three months ended June 30, 2012 and closed 13,315 homes and earned $143.7 million of pre-tax income during the nine months ended June 30, 2012. A significant contributor to the Company's increased profitability is its reduced debt and interest costs. The value of the Company’s net sales orders for the current quarter and the value of the sales order backlog at June 30, 2012 increased 32% and 40%, respectively, compared to the prior year. Based on a sales order backlog of 7,311 homes at June 30, 2012, the Company expects to close more homes and generate more pre-tax income in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 than it did in the current quarter. Additionally, the Company believes it will increase its pre-tax income in future years, as the Company is utilizing its balance sheet and liquidity position to invest in opportunities to sustain and grow its operations. If industry conditions weaken from current levels, the Company expects to be able to adjust its operations to maintain long-term profitability. While the Company's expectations are that annual pre-tax income will grow, if annual pre-tax income in future years remains flat with the current level, the Company estimates that it will realize all of its current federal net operating losses in less than five years and will be able to absorb all federal deductible temporary differences as they reverse in future years. In prior periods, a significant part of the negative evidence the Company considered was its three-year cumulative pre-tax loss position. At June 30, 2012 the Company had cumulative pre-tax income for the last three years of $26.1 million, so this piece of negative evidence was no longer considered to be as significant. Other negative evidence the Company considered was its previous losses incurred during the housing market decline, the current overall weakness in the economy and the housing market, the restrictive mortgage lending environment and the Company's gross margins, which are currently lower than historical levels before the housing downturn. Based on its evaluation of both positive and negative evidence, the Company concluded that the objective, direct positive evidence related to its operating results achieved during the recent challenging economic and housing market conditions and the sustainability of current pre-tax income levels outweighed the negative evidence and that it is more likely than not that the substantial majority of the Company's deferred tax assets will be realized. The Company has a valuation allowance of $78.4 million because it is more likely than not that a portion of its state net operating loss carryforwards will not be realized due to the more limited carryforward periods that exist in certain states, and also because when a change in a valuation allowance is recognized in an interim period, a portion of the valuation allowance to be reversed is allocated to the remaining interim periods. Therefore, the Company expects a portion of the remaining $78.4 million valuation allowance to reverse in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. The Company had income taxes receivable of $12.9 million and $12.4 million at June 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011, respectively, that relates to a federal tax refund the Company expects to receive. During the second quarter of 2012, after concluding its audit of the Company’s fiscal year ended 2006 and 2007 tax returns, the IRS submitted its report to the U.S. Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation (Committee). The Company expects the review and approval from the Committee will be completed during the current fiscal year at which time it will receive the $12.9 million income taxes receivable. A reduction of $3.3 million in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits and accrued interest is reasonably possible within the current fiscal year, which would be reflected as a benefit from income taxes.

INCOME TAXES

The Company’s income tax benefit for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2012 was $715.6 million and $712.5 million, respectively, compared to income tax expense of $0.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2011 and income tax benefit of $57.8 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2011. The income tax benefit in the current year periods is due primarily to a $716.7 million reduction of the Company's deferred tax asset valuation allowance in the current quarter. The benefit from income taxes in the prior year nine-month period was due to the Company receiving a favorable result from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on a ruling request concerning capitalization of inventory costs.

At June 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011, the Company had net deferred tax assets of $795.1 million and $848.5 million, respectively, offset by valuation allowances of $78.4 million and $848.5 million, respectively. The realization of the Company's deferred tax assets depends upon the existence of sufficient taxable income in future periods. During the three months ended June 30, 2012, the Company evaluated both positive and negative evidence and determined it was more likely than not that the substantial majority of the Company's deferred tax assets will be realized, which resulted in the reduction of $716.7 million of the valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets.

In the Company's evaluation of the need for and level of a valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets, the most significant piece of evidence considered was the objective, direct positive evidence related to its recent financial results. The Company has generated pre-tax income in each of the five immediately preceding consecutive quarters totaling $206.4 million, and it generated more pre-tax income in the current quarter than in any of the four previous quarters. The Company closed 4,957 homes and earned $72.2 million of pre-tax income during the three months ended June 30, 2012 and closed 13,315 homes and earned $143.7 million of pre-tax income during the nine months ended June 30, 2012. A significant contributor to the Company's increased profitability is its reduced debt and interest costs. The value of the Company’s net sales orders for the current quarter and the value of the sales order backlog at June 30, 2012 increased 32% and 40%, respectively, compared to the prior year. Based on a sales order backlog of 7,311 homes at June 30, 2012, the Company expects to close more homes and generate more pre-tax income in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 than it did in the current quarter. Additionally, the Company believes it will increase its pre-tax income in future years, as the Company is utilizing its balance sheet and liquidity position to invest in opportunities to sustain and grow its operations. If industry conditions weaken from current levels, the Company expects to be able to adjust its operations to maintain long-term profitability. While the Company's expectations are that annual pre-tax income will grow, if annual pre-tax income in future years remains flat with the current level, the Company estimates that it will realize all of its current federal net operating losses in less than five years and will be able to absorb all federal deductible temporary differences as they reverse in future years.

In prior periods, a significant part of the negative evidence the Company considered was its three-year cumulative pre-tax loss position. At June 30, 2012 the Company had cumulative pre-tax income for the last three years of $26.1 million, so this piece of negative evidence was no longer considered to be as significant. Other negative evidence the Company considered was its previous losses incurred during the housing market decline, the current overall weakness in the economy and the housing market, the restrictive mortgage lending environment and the Company's gross margins, which are currently lower than historical levels before the housing downturn. Based on its evaluation of both positive and negative evidence, the Company concluded that the objective, direct positive evidence related to its operating results achieved during the recent challenging economic and housing market conditions and the sustainability of current pre-tax income levels outweighed the negative evidence and that it is more likely than not that the substantial majority of the Company's deferred tax assets will be realized.

The Company has a valuation allowance of $78.4 million because it is more likely than not that a portion of its state net operating loss carryforwards will not be realized due to the more limited carryforward periods that exist in certain states, and also because when a change in a valuation allowance is recognized in an interim period, a portion of the valuation allowance to be reversed is allocated to the remaining interim periods. Therefore, the Company expects a portion of the remaining $78.4 million valuation allowance to reverse in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012.

The Company had income taxes receivable of $12.9 million and $12.4 million at June 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011, respectively, that relates to a federal tax refund the Company expects to receive. During the second quarter of 2012, after concluding its audit of the Company’s fiscal year ended 2006 and 2007 tax returns, the IRS submitted its report to the U.S. Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation (Committee). The Company expects the review and approval from the Committee will be completed during the current fiscal year at which time it will receive the $12.9 million income taxes receivable.

A reduction of $3.3 million in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits and accrued interest is reasonably possible within the current fiscal year, which would be reflected as a benefit from income taxes.