Note 3 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - Interest Costs Incurred, Expensed and Capitalized (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2014		Oct. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012
Interest Costs Incurred, Expensed and Capitalized [Abstract]
Interest capitalized at beginning of year	$ 105,093	[1]	$ 116,056	[1]	$ 121,441
Plus interest incurred(1)	145,409	[2]	132,611	[2]	147,048	[2]
Less cost of sales interest expensed	53,966		52,230		54,538
Less other interest expensed(2)(3)	87,378	[3],[4]	91,344	[3],[4]	97,895	[3],[4]
Interest capitalized at end of year(4)	$ 109,158	[1]	$ 105,093	[1]	$ 116,056	[1]

[1] Capitalized interest amounts are shown gross before allocating any portion of inventory impairments to capitalized interest.

[2] Data does not include interest incurred by our mortgage and finance subsidiaries.

[3] 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.

[4] 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: