Other Income - Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Interest income	$ 532	$ 698	$ 936	$ 1,186
Income from Ancillary Businesses	3,692	2,886	7,421	13,725
Management fee income from unconsolidated entities	2,408	3,411	4,515	6,390
Retained customer deposits	1,556	972	3,669	2,312
Income from land sales	493	2,533	4,491	7,350
Other	531	222	1,072	953
Total other income - net	14,633	13,919	28,353	35,935
Revenues and expenses of non-core ancillary businesses
Revenue	29,263	24,947	54,132	56,227
Expense	25,571	22,061	46,711	42,502
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue	2,901	22,725	13,592	126,746
Expense	2,408	20,192	9,101	110,136
Income from land sales	493	2,533	4,491	7,350
Gibraltar [Member]
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Gibraltar	$ 5,421	$ 3,197	$ 6,249	4,019
Home Building Joint Venture Metro New York Three [Member]
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue				78,500
Deferred gain on land sale to joint venture				$ (9,260)