Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Real Estate and Capitalized Interest (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Real Estate Properties    
Finished home sites and home sites under development $ 1,136,849mth_FinishedHomeSitesAndHomeSitesUnderDevelopment $ 913,236mth_FinishedHomeSitesAndHomeSitesUnderDevelopment
Real estate 1,877,682us-gaap_InventoryRealEstate 1,405,299us-gaap_InventoryRealEstate
Homes under contract [Member]    
Real Estate Properties    
Homes under contract under construction 328,931us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryAxis
= mth_HomesundercontractMember 		262,633us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryAxis
= mth_HomesundercontractMember
Speculative homes not under contract [Member]    
Real Estate Properties    
Homes under contract under construction 302,288us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryAxis
= mth_SpeculativehomesnotundercontractMember 		147,889us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryAxis
= mth_SpeculativehomesnotundercontractMember
Model homes [Member]    
Real Estate Properties    
Homes under contract under construction $ 109,614us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryAxis
= mth_ModelhomesMember 		$ 81,541us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryAxis
= mth_ModelhomesMember