Information on Operating Segments (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Inventory Impairment Charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 412,860	$ 447,078
Inventory
Inventory	6,997,516	6,490,321
Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	75,214	122,533
Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	2,033,447	2,355,874
Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	4,888,855	4,011,914
North [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,024,474	1,018,053
North [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	12,858	12,007
North [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	146,063	171,780
North [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	865,553	834,266
Mid-Atlantic [Member]
Segment Reporting Inventory Impairment Charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	12,167	11,841
Inventory
Inventory	1,184,003	1,233,534
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	33,196	29,169
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	194,058	209,506
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	956,749	994,859
South [Member]
Segment Reporting Inventory Impairment Charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	97,041	98,362
Inventory
Inventory	1,016,936	1,024,710
South [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	4,861	10,971
South [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	205,562	219,904
South [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	$ 806,513	793,835
West [Member]
Segment Reporting Inventory Impairment Charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities		1,841
Inventory
Inventory	$ 933,362	739,905
West [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	8,417	18,780
West [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	198,689	201,710
West [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	726,256	519,415
California [Member]
Segment Reporting Inventory Impairment Charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	128,338	57,732
Inventory
Inventory	2,063,173	1,851,065
California [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	14,386	3,342
California [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	899,675	1,189,318
California [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,149,112	658,405
Traditional Homebuilding [Member]
Segment Reporting Inventory Impairment Charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	237,546	169,776
Inventory
Inventory	6,221,948	5,867,267
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	73,718	74,269
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,644,047	1,992,218
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	4,504,183	3,800,780
City Living [Member]
Segment Reporting Inventory Impairment Charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	52,634	159,953
Inventory
Inventory	775,568	623,054
City Living [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,496	48,264
City Living [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	389,400	363,656
City Living [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	384,672	211,134
Corporate and other [Member]
Segment Reporting Inventory Impairment Charges and Costs of Inventory and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 122,680	$ 117,349