Inventory - Total Owned Inventory by Segment (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	$ 1,204,073	$ 931,377
Land held for future development	309,516	341,986
Land held for sale	74,365	31,331
Total owned inventory	1,587,954	1,304,694
West Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	442,694	339,319
Land held for future development	262,481	292,875
Land held for sale	19,192	16,572
Total owned inventory	724,367	648,766
East Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	382,234	331,894
Land held for future development	28,787	25,491
Land held for sale	34,608	3,833
Total owned inventory	445,629	361,218
Southeast Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	259,530	178,624
Land held for future development	18,248	23,620
Land held for sale	13,205	8,208
Total owned inventory	290,983	210,452
Unallocated and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Projects in Progress	119,615	81,540
Land held for future development	0	0
Land held for sale	7,360	2,718
Total owned inventory	$ 126,975	$ 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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