Investments in and Advances to Unconsolidated Entities (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2014 Development Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Development Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Development Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Development Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Development Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Development Joint Venture (five) [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Development Joint Venture (two) [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Development Joint Venture (two) [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Development Joint Venture (two) [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Development Joint Venture (three) [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Development Joint Venture (three) [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Development Joint Venture (four) [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Development Joint Venture (four) [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Corporate Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Corporate Joint Venture [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Homebuilding Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Homebuilding Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Homebuilding Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Homebuilding Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Homebuilding Joint Ventures, Total [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Rental Joint Ventures, excluding Trusts i and II [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Rental Joint Ventures, JVs with new borrowings [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Retail Joint Venture - two [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Retail Joint Venture - two [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Retail Joint Venture, one [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Retail Joint Venture, one [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Trust I [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Trust I [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Trust I [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Trust I [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Trust II [Member]	Jan. 31, 2014 Trust II [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Trust II [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Structured Asset Joint Venture [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Joint Ventures, variable interest entities [Member]	Oct. 31, 2013 Joint Ventures, variable interest entities [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Minimum [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Maximum [Member]	Oct. 31, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] Rental Joint Venture - three [Member]	Oct. 31, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] Rental Joint Venture - three [Member]	Aug. 11, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] Rental Joint Venture - three [Member]
Investments in and Advances to Unconsolidated Entities (Textual) [Abstract]
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	$ 443,285,000		$ 443,285,000		$ 403,133,000	$ 158,622,000		$ 158,622,000		$ 142,448,000		$ 26,819,000			$ 40,811,000	$ 40,811,000	$ 11,850,000		$ 77,300,000		$ 186,105,000		$ 186,105,000		$ 166,271,000	$ 77,000,000			$ 14,300,000		$ 29,500,000	$ (900,000)		$ (900,000)		$ 1,200,000		$ 1,200,000	$ 21,277,000		$ 21,277,000		$ 25,703,000	$ 37,900,000	$ 22,900,000					$ 11,900,000
Contribution of Property																																																3,500,000
Limited Partners' Contributed Capital																																																		35,700,000
Funding Commitments	82,962,000		82,962,000			35,000,000		35,000,000			19,300,000	2,200,000							10,000,000		28,000,000		28,000,000			20,000,000																		39,700,000	41,700,000
Number of lots committed to purchase	153		153
Number of JV with Purchase Commitments	2		2
Aggregate Purchase Commitments Unconsolidated Entities that the Company has Investments in	16,336,000		16,336,000		61,738,000
Percentage ownership held by company												50.00%				50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%										50.00%		50.00%			33.30%				50.00%											25.00%
Number of joint venture with funding commitments						4		4													2		2
Number of joint ventures with loan commitments						3		3																		5	2
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity						145,000,000		145,000,000				25,000,000			40,000,000	40,000,000			80,000,000.00							319,800,000	126,000,000		54,000,000		120,000,000																			104,500,000
Guarantee funding percentage																																																50.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding						41,300,000		41,300,000				23,700,000			1,800,000	1,800,000			15,900,000							62,300,000	25,800,000		18,100,000		12,712,000
Number of Units in Real Estate Property																					580		580						287																					418
Number of acres owned by venture																	945
Number of floors in apartment building																															38
Maximum amount of line of credit commitment												40,000,000
Owned by Third Party															50.00%																			33.30%				50.00%
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	950,000	768,000	38,192,000	8,844,000		353,000	57,000	456,000	2,853,000												(60,000)	387,000	266,000	1,466,000								12,000,000				600,000	23,500,000		602,000	537,000	792,000	3,608,000
Proceeds from Equity Method Investment, Dividends or Distributions			41,580,000	12,194,000																								12,500,000			10,200,000					20,000,000
Land sales, net	76,424,000	9,776,000	174,576,000	20,805,000																																		2,900,000
Percent owned by Company's Management																																		33.30%
Transfer of Inventory to Investment			700,000	27,631,000																								27,100,000		28,800,000
Aggregate Purchase Commitments Unrelated Parties	972,497,000		972,497,000		1,301,987,000										79,300,000	79,300,000
Venture payment to align capital accounts																															1,200,000
Contribution of cash to joint venture														15,480,000.00				11,800,000
unimproved lots controlled by JV												2,850	2,900		6,500	6,500	1,300		1,150	2,000
Number of lots to be acquired from joint venture	3,750		3,750
Number of lots acquired from joint venture											515
Management fee income	1,840,000	665,000	4,294,000	1,796,000																												600,000	600,000	1,700,000	1,700,000
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions																																36,000,000
Joint Venture Description			Investments in 50% or less owned partnerships and affiliates are accounted for using the equity method unless it is determined that we have effective control of the entity, in which case we would consolidate the entity.																																						we are a 20% participant with two unrelated parties that purchased a 40% interest in an entity that owns and controls a portfolio of loans and real estate
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	464,800,000		464,800,000
Guarantor Obligations, Term																																														P16M	P41M
Maxiumum guarantor obigation for borrowings by JVs	103,600,000		103,600,000
Ground lease and other, guarantee	11,200,000		11,200,000																																									9,197,000	9,563,000
Number of JVs, ground lease and other	3		3
Guarantees, Fair Value Disclosure	2,240,000		2,240,000
Total joint venture loan commitments subject to guarantees	464,750,000		464,750,000
Borrowed against Loan Commitments	$ 103,600,000		$ 103,600,000
variable interest entity, number of entities, not primary beneficiary																																												3