Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Senior and Convertible Senior Notes (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Senior and Convertible Senior Notes (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Senior Notes $ 904,344us-gaap_SeniorNotes $ 904,486us-gaap_SeniorNotes
Senior Notes [Member] | 4.50% senior notes due 2018 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Debt 175,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
175,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Debt instrument, stated rate 4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandEighteenMemberDomain
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Senior Notes [Member] | 7.15% senior notes due 2020 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Debt 302,844us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
302,986us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Debt instrument, stated rate 7.15%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
7.15%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Premium 2,844us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
2,986us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Senior Notes [Member] | 7.00% senior notes due 2022 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Debt 300,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
300,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Debt instrument, stated rate 7.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
7.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_SeniorNotesDueTwoThousandTwentyTwoMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Senior Notes [Member] | 1.875% convertible senior notes due 2032 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Long-term Debt $ 126,500us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
$ 126,500us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Debt instrument, stated rate 1.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
1.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Debt instrument, convertible, conversion ratio 0.0171985us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionRatio1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember