Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Subsequent Events) (Details Textuals 2) (Details) (USD $) Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2011	Jan. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2011	Nov. 30, 2013	Nov. 07, 2013	Sep. 05, 2012
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	$ 144,700,000		$ 0	$ 144,746,000	$ 0
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues		7.2
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share			$ 0.01				$ 0.01
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share						$ 32.00
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock		220,800,000
Senior notes			2,321,442,000	2,080,463,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage								0.50%
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt			400,383,000	578,696,000	0
Line of Credit Facility, term of contract			364 days
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities			14,392,000	23,592,000	(1,194,000)
Shapell [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		1,600,000,000
Number of home sites included in acquisition		5,200
4.0% Senior Notes due 2018 [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Senior notes						350,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage						4.00%
5.625% Senior Notes due 2024 [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Senior notes						250,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage						5.625%
Senior Notes subsequent to YE combined total [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Senior notes						600,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt		596,000,000
three hundred sixty four day senior uncedured revolving credit facility [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity			500,000,000
Minimum [Member] | three hundred sixty four day senior uncedured revolving credit facility [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Interest Rate on Loan Commitments in Addition to Libor			1.25%
Maximum [Member] | three hundred sixty four day senior uncedured revolving credit facility [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Interest Rate on Loan Commitments in Addition to Libor			2.25%
New Credit Facility [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity			1,035,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, term of contract			5 years
Trust Two [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Income (loss) from unconsolidated entities		$ 20,000,000