Credit Facility, Loans Payable, Senior Notes, Senior Subordinated Notes and Mortgage Company Warehouse Loan Credit Facility, Loans Payable, Senior Notes, Senior Subordinated Notes and Mortgage Company Warehouse Loan (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2012

Credit Facility, Loans Payable, Senior Notes, Senior Subordinated Notes and Mortgage Company Warehouse Loan [Abstract]

Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt [Table Text Block]

As of October 31, 2012, the annual aggregate maturities of the Company’s loans and notes during each of the next five fiscal years are as follows (amounts in thousands):

	Amount
2013	$	265,837
2014	278,092
2015	310,103
2016	402,068
2017	1,003,323

Schedule of Debt Instrument [Table Text Block]

At October 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company’s senior notes consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	2012			2011
6.875% Senior Notes due November 15, 2012	$	59,068		$	139,776
5.95% Senior Notes due September 15, 2013	104,785			141,635
4.95% Senior Notes due March 15, 2014	267,960			267,960
5.15% Senior Notes due May 15, 2015	300,000			300,000
8.91% Senior Notes due October 15, 2017	400,000			400,000
6.75% Senior Notes due November 1, 2019	250,000			250,000
5.875% Senior Notes due February 15, 2022	419,876
0.5% Exchangeable Senior Notes due September 15, 2032	287,500
Bond discount	(8,726		)	(8,399		)
	$	2,080,463		$	1,490,972

Schedule of Debt [Table Text Block]

Information regarding the Company’s loans payable at October 31, 2012 and 2011 is included in the table below ($ amounts in thousands).

	2012			2011
Aggregate loans payable at October 31	$	99,817		$	106,556
Weighted-average interest rate	3.64		%	3.99		%
Interest rate range	0.26% - 7.87%			0.16% - 7.87%
Loans secured by assets
Carrying value of loans secured by assets	$	98,952		$	105,092
Carrying value of assets securing loans	$	311,104		$	283,169