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Senior, Senior Subordinated, Convertible Senior Notes (Details Textual) (USD $)
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12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Dec. 31, 2013
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Dec. 31, 2012
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Mar. 31, 2013
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Apr. 30, 2012
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Nov. 30, 2013
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Dec. 31, 2010
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] |
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| Percentage of wholly owned subsidiary |
100.00%mth_PercentageOfWhollyOwnedSubsidiaries
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| Loss on early extinguishment of debt |
$ 0us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt
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$ 3,796,000us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt
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$ 5,772,000us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt
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| 7.731% senior subordinated notes due 2017 [Member] |
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] |
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| Debt instrument, stated rate |
7.731%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorSubordinatedNotesDueTwoThousandSeventeenMember
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7.731%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorSubordinatedNotesDueTwoThousandSeventeenMember
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| Debt Instrument Maturity Year |
2017
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| Aggregate principal amount repurchased |
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99,800,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRepurchasedFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorSubordinatedNotesDueTwoThousandSeventeenMember
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26,100,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRepurchasedFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorSubordinatedNotesDueTwoThousandSeventeenMember
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| 4.50% senior notes due 2018 [Member] |
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] |
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| Debt instrument, stated rate |
4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
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4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
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| Debt Instrument Maturity Year |
2018
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2018
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| Aggregate principal amount of offering |
175,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
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| 7.00% senior notes due 2022 [Member] |
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] |
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| Debt instrument, stated rate |
7.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
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7.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
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| Debt Instrument Maturity Year |
2022
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2022
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| Aggregate principal amount of offering |
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300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
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| 6.25% senior notes due 2015 [Member] |
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] |
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| Debt instrument, stated rate |
6.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandFifteenMember
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| Debt Instrument Maturity Year |
2015
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| Aggregate principal amount repurchased |
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285,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRepurchasedFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandFifteenMember
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| 7.15% senior notes due 2020 [Member] |
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] |
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| Debt instrument, stated rate |
7.15%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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7.15%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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| Debt Instrument Maturity Year |
2020
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2020
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| Debt Instrument, Unamortized Premium |
2,986,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedPremium
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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3,555,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedPremium
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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| Aggregate principal amount of offering |
200,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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| Add-on to existing 7.15% senior notes |
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100,000,000mth_Addontoexisting7.15seniornotes
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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| Percent of debt instrument par value issued |
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106.699%mth_Percentofdebtinstrumentparvalueissued
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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97.567%mth_Percentofdebtinstrumentparvalueissued
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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| Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage |
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5.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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7.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
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| 1.875% convertible senior notes due 2032 [Member] |
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| Debt Instrument [Line Items] |
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| Debt instrument, stated rate |
1.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
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1.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
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| Debt Instrument Maturity Year |
2032
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2032
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| Aggregate principal amount of offering |
126,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
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| Debt instrument, convertible, conversion ratio |
17.1985us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionRatio1
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
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| Debt Instrument Convertible Conversion Ratio Basis Principal Amount |
$ 1,000mth_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionRatioBasisPrincipalAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
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| Debt instrument, convertible, conversion price |
$ 58.14us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
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| Conversion premium |
47.50%mth_ConversionPremium
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
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