Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Fair Value Disclosures (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Fair Value Disclosures (Details) (USD $)
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Apr. 30, 2012
4.50% senior notes due 2018 [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Aggregate Principal $ 175,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain 		   
4.50% senior notes due 2018 [Member] | Level 2 [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Aggregate Principal 175,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain 		175,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain 		 
Fair value of fixed-rate debt      
Estimated Fair Value 175,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain 		174,125,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain 		 
7.15% senior notes due 2020 [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Aggregate Principal 200,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember 		   
7.15% senior notes due 2020 [Member] | Level 2 [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Aggregate Principal 300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember 		300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember 		 
Fair value of fixed-rate debt      
Estimated Fair Value 322,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember 		325,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember 		 
7.00% senior notes due 2022 [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Aggregate Principal     300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
7.00% senior notes due 2022 [Member] | Level 2 [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Aggregate Principal 300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember 		300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember 		 
Fair value of fixed-rate debt      
Estimated Fair Value 318,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember 		318,750,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember 		 
1.875% convertible senior notes due 2032 [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Aggregate Principal 126,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember 		   
1.875% convertible senior notes due 2032 [Member] | Level 2 [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Aggregate Principal 126,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember 		126,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember 		 
Fair value of fixed-rate debt      
Estimated Fair Value $ 124,444,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember 		$ 142,154,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember