Legal fees incurred for related party.

No definition available.

Name:	hov_LegalFeesForRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	hov_Note18TransactionswithRelatedPartiesDetailsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total purchase price of real property.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hov_PurchaseOptionsLandTotalCostToBuyer
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Agreed upon purchase price of land to be acquired from a related party.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hov_RelatedPartyTransactionAgreementWithRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sales value of option for real property.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hov_SalesValueOfOptionForRealProperty
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of operating loss carryforward, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of transactions with related party during the financial reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39622-107864

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39603-107864

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39549-107864

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=hov_DaughterInLawOfExecutiveOfficerMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=hov_HirairHovnanianMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=hov_SonOfChiefOperatingOfficerMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=hov_TavitNajarianMember
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Note 18 - Transactions with Related Parties (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2003	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2012	Nov. 30, 2012
Note 18 - Transactions with Related Parties (Details) [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent					50.00%
Operating Loss Carryforwards	$ 1,500,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
Legal Fees for Related Party	249,653hov_LegalFeesForRelatedParty
Hirair Hovnanian [Member]
Note 18 - Transactions with Related Parties (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Agreement with Related Party		31,400,000
Tavit Najarian [Member]
Note 18 - Transactions with Related Parties (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction	800,000		1,200,000	900,000
Son of Chief Operating Officer [Member] \| Commission Fees [Member]
Note 18 - Transactions with Related Parties (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction					145,710
Daughter-in-Law of Executive Officer [Member] \| Commission Fees [Member]
Note 18 - Transactions with Related Parties (Details) [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction	172,000		96,000
Subsidiaries [Member]
Note 18 - Transactions with Related Parties (Details) [Line Items]
Sales Value of Option for Real Property					5,500,000
Purchase Options, Land, Total Cost to Buyer					$ 11,100,000