Note 20 - Financial Information of Subsidiary Issuer and Subsidiary Guarantors - Consolidating Condensed Financial Statements - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Liabilities	$ 2,267,499	$ 2,483,466	[1]
Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	1,621,375	1,657,758
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(133,903)	(128,510)	[1]
Total liabilities and equity	2,133,596	2,354,956	[1]
Assets	2,133,596	2,354,956	[1]
Income taxes receivable	284,452	283,633
Homebuilding [Member]
Homebuilding, excluding Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	549,047	653,263
Liabilities	2,170,422	2,311,021	[1]
Assets	1,729,606	1,874,093	[1]
Financial Services [Member]
Liabilities	97,077	172,445	[1]
Assets	119,538	197,230
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility
Intercompany payable	(1,263,262)	(1,315,446)
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	(134,565)	(82,951)
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(237,509)	(359,591)
Total liabilities and equity	(1,635,336)	(1,757,988)
Investments in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries	(372,077)	(442,542)
Assets	(1,635,336)	(1,757,988)
Intercompany receivable	(1,263,259)	(1,315,446)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Homebuilding, excluding Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility
Assets
Parent Company [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility
Intercompany payable	155,137	157,993
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	110,590	82,951
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(133,903)	(128,510)
Total liabilities and equity	134,291	115,940
Assets	134,291	115,940
Income taxes receivable	134,291	115,940
Parent Company [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Homebuilding, excluding Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	2,467	3,506
Assets
Subsidiary Issuer [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	1,617,889	1,652,357
Amounts due to consolidated subsidiaries	23,975
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(234,675)	(208,608)
Total liabilities and equity	1,407,318	1,444,867
Investments in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries		4,914
Assets	1,407,318	1,444,867
Income taxes receivable	(43,308)	(58,597)
Intercompany receivable	1,249,183	1,227,334
Subsidiary Issuer [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Homebuilding, excluding Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	129	1,118
Assets	201,443	271,216
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	3,001	5,084
Intercompany payable	1,108,125	1,157,453
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	100,107	130,568
Total liabilities and equity	1,719,547	1,871,606
Investments in and amounts due from consolidated subsidiaries	372,077	437,628
Assets	1,719,547	1,871,606
Income taxes receivable	193,437	226,258
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Homebuilding, excluding Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	488,589	565,163
Assets	1,133,656	1,194,267
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Financial Services [Member]
Liabilities	19,725	13,338
Assets	20,377	13,453
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	485	317
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	372,077	437,631
Total liabilities and equity	507,776	680,531
Assets	507,776	680,531
Income taxes receivable	32	32
Intercompany receivable	14,076	88,112
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Homebuilding, excluding Notes payable and term loan and Revolving credit facility	57,862	83,476
Assets	394,507	408,610
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Financial Services [Member]
Liabilities	77,352	159,107
Assets	$ 99,161	$ 183,777

[1] Derived from the audited balance sheet as of October 31, 2016. See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).