Note 23 - Financial Information of Subsidiary Issuer and Subsidiary Guarantors (Details) - Consolidating Condensed Financial Statements - Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	$ 307,144	$ 31,295	$ (66,197)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(497,729)	(22,027)	(801)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(190,585)	9,268	(66,998)
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	515	7,369	3,206
Purchase of property, equipment, and other fixed assets and acquisitions	(3,423)	(1,558)	(5,059)
(Increase) in restricted cash related to mortgage company	(655)	4,575
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	(21,699)	(4,907)	(4,743)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	11,107	24,806	5,096
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(14,155)	30,285	(1,500)
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	40,770
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	19,214
Net payments from land bank financing programs	(17,306)
Net proceeds from senior notes	121,447
Net payments related to mortgage warehouse lines of credit	(14,744)	(15,822)	57,756
Deferred financing cost from land banking financing program and note issuances	(11,947)	(5,071)	(19,381)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	137,434	16,419	90,990
Net (decrease) increase in cash	(67,306)	55,972	22,492
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of year	329,204	273,232	250,740
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of year	261,898	329,204	273,232
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	307,144	31,295	(66,197)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(277,932)	29,653	37,030
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	29,212	60,948	(29,167)
Intercompany investing and financing activities – net	(29,212)	(60,948)	(18,054)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(29,212)		47,221
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(45,276)	(824,213)	(82,349)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	14,334	797,892	53,114
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(30,942)	(26,321)	(29,235)
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	(95)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	203
Intercompany investing activities	(167,370)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(167,262)	235	146
Net proceeds from senior notes	121,447
Deferred financing cost from land banking financing program and note issuances	(7,205)
Intercompany investing and financing activities – net		78,598	194,040
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	114,242	(6,139)	(79,976)
Net (decrease) increase in cash	(83,962)	46,373	84,975
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of year	243,470	197,097	112,122
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of year	159,508	243,470	197,097
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	42,749	822,012	(14,450)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(303,507)	(875,287)	124,875
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(260,758)	(53,275)	110,425
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	467
Purchase of property, equipment, and other fixed assets and acquisitions	(3,395)
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	(831)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	3,787
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	28	11,819	(3,260)
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	39,345
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	17,232
Net payments from land bank financing programs	(8,297)
Deferred financing cost from land banking financing program and note issuances	(4,051)
Intercompany investing and financing activities – net	218,254	(15,920)	(153,863)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	262,483	52,914	49,670
Net (decrease) increase in cash	1,753	(4,462)	2,972
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of year	(6,479)	(2,017)	(4,989)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of year	(4,726)	(6,479)	(2,017)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	51,828	39,748	21,153
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	20,075	(11,832)	(140,174)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	71,903	27,916	(119,021)
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	48
Purchase of property, equipment, and other fixed assets and acquisitions	(28)
(Increase) in restricted cash related to mortgage company	(655)
Investment in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	(20,773)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	7,117
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(14,291)	18,231	1,614
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	1,425
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	1,982
Net payments from land bank financing programs	(9,009)
Net payments related to mortgage warehouse lines of credit	(14,744)
Deferred financing cost from land banking financing program and note issuances	(691)
Intercompany investing and financing activities – net	(21,672)	(1,730)	(22,123)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(42,709)	(30,356)	74,075
Net (decrease) increase in cash	14,903	14,061	(65,455)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of year	92,213	78,152	143,607
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of year	107,116	92,213	78,152
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	(49,301)	(37,547)	75,646
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	49,301	37,547	(75,646)
Intercompany investing activities	167,370
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	167,370
Intercompany investing and financing activities – net	(167,370)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	$ (167,370)