Information on Operating Segments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2014

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Revenue and income (loss) before income taxes and total assets

Total assets for each of our reportable and geographic segments at October 31, 2014 and 2013, are shown in the table below (amounts in thousands):

	2014		2013
Traditional Home Building:
North	$	1,053,787	$	963,597
Mid-Atlantic	1,267,563		1,231,438
South	1,165,600		953,955
West	2,676,164		1,290,388
Traditional Home Building	6,163,114		4,439,378
City Living	834,949		674,302
Corporate and other	1,418,839		1,713,779
Total	$	8,416,902	$	6,827,459

The table below summarizes revenue and income (loss) before income taxes for each of our reportable segments for each of the fiscal years ended October 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 (amounts in thousands):

	Revenues						Income (loss) before income taxes
	2014		2013		2012		2014			2013			2012
Traditional Home Building:
North	$	662,734	$	485,052	$	350,639	$	56,983		$	32,648		$	13,913
Mid-Atlantic	817,306		652,855		535,710		78,971			79,801			62,970
South	836,498		641,331		361,810		113,584			67,934			18,928
West	1,313,727		724,370		437,922		236,363			111,301			39,383
Traditional Home Building	3,630,265		2,503,608		1,686,081		485,901			291,684			135,194
City Living	281,337		170,691		196,700		104,580			53,345			61,910
Corporate and other							(85,899		)	(77,332		)	(84,162		)
Total	$	3,911,602	$	2,674,299	$	1,882,781	$	504,582		$	267,697		$	112,942

Segment Reporting Inventory impairment charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Text Block]

We provided for inventory impairment charges and the expensing of costs that we believed not to be recoverable and recoveries of prior charges for the years ended October 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, as shown in the table below; the net carrying value of inventory and investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities for each of our reportable and geographic segments at October 31, 2014 and 2013, is also shown (amounts in thousands).

	Net Carrying Value				Impairments (Recoveries)
	At October 31,				Year ended October 31,
	2014		2013		2014		2013			2012
Inventory:
Land controlled for future communities:
Traditional Home Building:
North	$	12,007	$	16,267	$	548	$	822		$	(907	)
Mid-Atlantic	29,169		29,423		1,314		322			238
South	10,971		14,606		1,085		400			800
West	22,122		13,371		176		(361		)	205
Traditional Home Building	74,269		73,667		3,123		1,183			336
City Living	48,264		26,135							115
	122,533		99,802		3,123		1,183			451
Land owned for future communities:
Traditional Home Building:
North	171,780		135,282
Mid-Atlantic	209,506		308,585							300
South	219,904		158,457							918
West	1,391,028		448,125
Traditional Home Building	1,992,218		1,050,449		—		—			1,218
City Living	363,656		237,181
	2,355,874		1,287,630		—		—			1,218
Operating communities:
Traditional Home Building:
North	834,266		785,175		8,600		940			2,725
Mid-Atlantic	994,859		866,256		7,755		200			5,500
South	793,835		690,302		1,200		2,000			3,445
West	1,177,820		697,573				200			600
Traditional Home Building	3,800,780		3,039,306		17,555		3,340			12,270
City Living	211,134		223,674							800
	4,011,914		3,262,980		17,555		3,340			13,070
Total	$	6,490,321	$	4,650,412	$	20,678	$	4,523		$	14,739
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities:
Traditional Home Building:
Mid-Atlantic	$	24,276	11,850
South	98,362		$	50,452
West	59,573		110,467							(2,311		)
Traditional Home Building	182,211		172,769		—		—			(2,311		)
City Living	159,953		135,950
Corporate and other	104,914		94,414
Total	$	447,078	$	403,133	$	—	$	—		$	(2,311	)