Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Fair Value Disclosures (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Fair Value Disclosures (Details) (Senior Notes [Member], Level 2 [Member], USD $)
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
4.50% senior notes due 2018 [Member]
    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Aggregate Principal $ 175,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		$ 175,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Fair value of fixed-rate debt    
Estimated Fair Value 177,625,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		175,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
7.15% senior notes due 2020 [Member]
    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Aggregate Principal 300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Fair value of fixed-rate debt    
Estimated Fair Value 322,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		322,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
7.00% senior notes due 2022 [Member]
    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Aggregate Principal 300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		300,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Fair value of fixed-rate debt    
Estimated Fair Value 320,250,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		318,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
1.875% convertible senior notes due 2032 [Member]
    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Aggregate Principal 126,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		126,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Fair value of fixed-rate debt    
Estimated Fair Value $ 134,564,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		$ 124,444,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember