CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Total revenue	$ 1,822,114	$ 1,627,413	$ 1,463,767
Home construction and land sales expenses	1,509,625	1,351,860	1,192,001
Inventory impairments and abandonments	15,282	3,109	8,307
Gross profit	297,207	272,444	263,459
Commissions	70,460	65,023	58,028
General and administrative expenses	153,628	142,496	136,463
Depreciation and amortization	13,794	13,338	13,279
Operating income	59,325	51,587	55,689
Equity in income of unconsolidated entities	131	536	6,545
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(13,423)	(80)	(19,917)
Other expense, net	(24,330)	(30,013)	(49,191)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	21,703	22,030	(6,874)
Expense (benefit) from income taxes	16,498	(324,569)	(41,797)
Income from continuing operations	5,205	346,599	34,923
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(512)	(2,505)	(540)
Net income	$ 4,693	$ 344,094	$ 34,383
Weighted average number of shares:
Basic (in shares)	31,798	27,628	25,795
Diluted (in shares)	31,803	31,772	31,795
Basic income (loss) per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.16	$ 12.54	$ 1.35
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	(0.01)	(0.09)	(0.02)
Total (in dollars per share)	0.15	12.45	1.33
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.16	10.91	1.10
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	(0.01)	(0.08)	(0.02)
Total (in dollars per share)	$ 0.15	$ 10.83	$ 1.08
Net income	$ 4,693	$ 344,094	$ 34,383
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax:
Change in unrealized loss related to available-for-sale securities	0	1,276	(1,276)
Total Comprehensive Income	$ 4,693	$ 345,370	$ 33,107