Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Acquisitions and Goodwill (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Acquisitions and Goodwill (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill [Roll Forward]  
Goodwill, beginning balance $ 32,962us-gaap_Goodwill
Additions 0us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
Impairments 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
Goodwill, ending balance 32,962us-gaap_Goodwill
Operating Segments [Member] | Financial Services [Member]  
Goodwill [Roll Forward]  
Goodwill, beginning balance 0us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_FinancialServicesMember
Additions 0us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_FinancialServicesMember
Impairments 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_FinancialServicesMember
Goodwill, ending balance 0us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_FinancialServicesMember
Operating Segments [Member] | Homebuilding [Member] | Reportable Subsegments [Member] | Homebuilding, West Region [Member]  
Goodwill [Roll Forward]  
Goodwill, beginning balance 0us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingWestRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Additions 0us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingWestRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Impairments 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingWestRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Goodwill, ending balance 0us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingWestRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Operating Segments [Member] | Homebuilding [Member] | Reportable Subsegments [Member] | Homebuilding, Central Region [Member]  
Goodwill [Roll Forward]  
Goodwill, beginning balance 0us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingCentralRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Additions 0us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingCentralRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Impairments 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingCentralRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Goodwill, ending balance 0us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingCentralRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Operating Segments [Member] | Homebuilding [Member] | Reportable Subsegments [Member] | Homebuilding, East Region [Member]  
Goodwill [Roll Forward]  
Goodwill, beginning balance 32,962us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingEastRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Additions 0us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingEastRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Impairments 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingEastRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Goodwill, ending balance 32,962us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis
= mth_HomebuildingEastRegionMember
/ us-gaap_SubsegmentsConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_ReportableSubsegmentsMember
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]  
Goodwill [Roll Forward]  
Goodwill, beginning balance 0us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Additions 0us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Impairments 0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Goodwill, ending balance $ 0us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember