Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2014	Jan. 31, 2014	Feb. 03, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014 Shapell [Member]	Feb. 04, 2014 Shapell [Member]	Jan. 31, 2014 Shapell [Member]	Jan. 31, 2014 Subsidiary of Common Parent [Member]	Apr. 30, 2014 Five year term note [Member]	Feb. 04, 2014 Five year term note [Member]	Feb. 03, 2014 Five year term note [Member]	Apr. 30, 2014 three hundred sixty four day senior uncedured revolving credit facility [Member]	Feb. 04, 2014 three hundred sixty four day senior uncedured revolving credit facility [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 New Credit Facility [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired				$ 1,600,000,000
Number of home sites included in acquisition				4,950
Business acquisition, number of selling communities				11
Cash Acquired from Acquisition				120,000,000
Number of Homes to be Delivered		3,667			126
Sales Value of Outstanding Deliver Homes		2,690,000,000			105,300,000
Deposit Assets						161,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		0	370,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity												500,000,000	1,035,000,000
Long-term Debt									485,000,000
Proceeds from (Payments for) Other Financing Activities		$ 830,000,000
Number of banks included in Credit Facility										10		5
Debt Instrument, Maturity Period								5 years
Interest above fed funds rate	0.50%
Percent of interest above Libor	1.00%
Percent interest added when euro rate option selected	0.25%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate at Period End									1.72%
Subsidiary of Company, Ownership Percentage by Parent							100.00%
Line of Credit Facility, term of contract											364 days		5 years
Percentage Investment in Partnerships and Affiliates up to which Accounted as Equity Method Investment		50.00%
Condition for accounting in investments as per equity method		Investments in 50% or less owned partnerships and affiliates are accounted for using the equity method unless it is determined that the Company has effective control of the entity, in which case the entity would be consolidated.