Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Senior and Convertible Senior Notes (Details Textual)

v2.4.1.9
Senior and Convertible Senior Notes (Details Textual) (Senior Notes [Member], USD $)
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
4.50% senior notes due 2018 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
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
7.15% senior notes due 2020 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
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
7.00% senior notes due 2022 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
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
1.875% convertible senior notes due 2032 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
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 price 58.14us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember 		 
Conversion premium 47.50%mth_ConversionPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= mth_ConvertibleSeniorNotesDueTwoThousandThirtyTwoMemberMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember