Other Income - Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Interest income	$ 1,939	$ 2,493	$ 4,457
Income from Ancillary Businesses	23,530	10,653	9,912
Management fee income from unconsolidated entities	11,299	7,306	2,890
Retained customer deposits	5,224	3,067	2,534
Land sales, net	$ 13,150	$ 25,489	4,435
Income recognized from settlement of litigation			$ 13,229
Directly expensed interest		$ (656)
Other	$ 2,263	3,476	$ 4,596
Total other income - net	67,573	66,192	52,238
Revenues and expenses of non-core ancillary businesses
Revenue	119,732	100,284	89,182
Expense	96,202	89,631	79,270
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue	183,870	$ 242,931	29,252
Retail Land Sales, Installment Method, Gross Profit, Deferred
Expense	(161,460)	$ (217,442)	(24,817)
Land sales, net	13,150	25,489	4,435
Gibraltar [Member]
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Gibraltar	10,168	$ 14,364	$ 10,185
Home Building Joint Venture Metro New York Three [Member]
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue	78,500
Retail Land Sales, Installment Method, Gross Profit, Deferred	$ (9,260)