Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 387,462	$ 545,419
Inventory:
Land under development	53,203
Contract land deposits, net	318,588	294,676
Total assets	2,570,682	2,351,335
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Total liabilities	$ 1,330,192	$ 1,227,080
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 60,000,000 shares authorized; 20,555,330 shares issued as of both September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014	$ 206	$ 206
Additional paid-in capital	1,420,214	1,325,495
Deferred compensation trust – 108,614 shares of NVR, Inc. common stock as of both September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014	(17,333)	(17,333)
Deferred compensation liability	17,333	17,333
Retained earnings	5,136,110	4,887,187
Less treasury stock at cost – 16,573,224 and 16,506,229 shares as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively	(5,316,040)	(5,088,633)
Total shareholders' equity	1,240,490	1,124,255
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	2,570,682	2,351,335
Homebuilding [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	375,886	514,780
Receivables	9,850	10,021
Inventory:
Lots and housing units, covered under sales agreements with customers	987,933	690,955
Unsold lots and housing units	110,589	131,938
Land under development	53,203	33,689
Building materials and other	9,730	12,904
Total Inventory	1,161,455	869,486
Assets related to consolidated variable interest entity	1,799	3,590
Contract land deposits, net	318,588	294,676
Property, plant and equipment, net	44,911	46,242
Reorganization value in excess of amounts allocable to identifiable assets, net	41,580	41,580
Goodwill and finite-lived intangible assets, net	4,327	5,364
Other assets	305,918	302,280
Total assets	2,264,314	2,088,019
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Accounts payable	260,941	204,622
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	301,594	289,058
Liabilities related to consolidated variable interest entity	1,619	1,618
Non-recourse debt related to consolidated variable interest entity		64
Customer deposits	132,072	106,755
Senior notes	599,237	599,166
Total liabilities	1,295,463	1,201,283
Mortgage Banking [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	10,407	30,158
Mortgage loans held for sale, net	260,074	205,664
Inventory:
Property, plant and equipment, net	5,502	6,189
Reorganization value in excess of amounts allocable to identifiable assets, net	7,347	7,347
Other assets	23,038	13,958
Total assets	306,368	263,316
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Accounts payable and other liabilities	34,729	25,797
Total liabilities	$ 34,729	$ 25,797