Inventory - Total Owned Inventory by Segment (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	$ 1,116,704	$ 931,377
Land held for future development	306,119	341,986
Land held for sale	57,537	31,331
Total owned inventory	1,480,360	1,304,694
West Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	411,823	339,319
Land held for future development	262,399	292,875
Land held for sale	14,470	16,572
Total owned inventory	688,692	648,766
East Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	359,553	331,894
Land held for future development	25,496	25,491
Land held for sale	30,453	3,833
Total owned inventory	415,502	361,218
Southeast Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	236,496	178,624
Land held for future development	18,224	23,620
Land held for sale	10,319	8,208
Total owned inventory	265,039	210,452
Unallocated and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	108,832	81,540
Land held for future development	0	0
Land held for sale	2,295	2,718
Total owned inventory	$ 111,127	$ 84,258

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of project in progress

No definition available.

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- Definition

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of parcels of land held for sale, and on which the entity has no intention or no further intention to perform construction activities.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.6(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph a

-Article 5

+ Details

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- Definition

The net carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the sum of the various components of an operative builder's inventory, including finished homes. Operative builders primarily consist of entities that develop land, construct residential homes and commercial and industrial buildings thereon, and sell them to home buyers and operators of the commercial and industrial properties.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Carrying amount of land available for development.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.(a),1(d))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph d

-Article 7

+ Details

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