Note 3 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule Of Real Estate Inventory Capitalized Interest Costs [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended
(Dollars in thousands)	October 31, 2014	October 31, 2013	October 31, 2012
Interest capitalized at beginning of year	$105,093	$116,056	$121,441
Plus interest incurred(1)	145,409	132,611	147,048
Less cost of sales interest expensed	53,966	52,230	54,538
Less other interest expensed(2)(3)	87,378	91,344	97,895
Interest capitalized at end of year(4)	$109,158	$105,093	$116,056

(1) Data does not include interest incurred by our mortgage and finance subsidiaries.

(2) Other interest expensed is comprised of interest that does not qualify for capitalization because our assets that qualify for interest capitalization (inventory under development) do not exceed our debt. Interest on completed homes and land in planning which does not qualify for capitalization is expensed.

(3) Cash paid for interest, net of capitalized interest is the sum of other interest expensed, as defined above, and interest paid by our mortgage and finance subsidiaries adjusted for the change in accrued interest, which is calculated as follows:

(4) Capitalized interest amounts are shown gross before allocating any portion of inventory impairments to capitalized interest.

Cash Paid for Interest, Net of Capitalized Interest [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended
(Dollars in thousands)	October 31, 2014		October 31, 2013		October 31, 2012
Other interest expensed	$87,378		$91,344		$97,895
Interest paid by our mortgage and finance subsidiaries	1,969		2,975		2,433
(Increase) decrease in accrued interest	(3,961	)	(8,062	)	1,132
Cash paid for interest, net of capitalized interest	$85,386		$86,257		$101,460