Information on Segments (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Inventory
Inventory	$ 7,353,967	$ 6,997,516
Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	71,729	75,214
Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,884,146	2,033,447
Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	5,398,092	4,888,855
North [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	983,165	1,024,474
North [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	20,671	12,858
North [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	79,299	146,063
North [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	883,195	865,553
Mid-Atlantic [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,123,000	1,184,003
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	30,967	33,196
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	109,551	194,058
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	982,482	956,749
South [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,030,324	1,016,936
South [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	6,024	4,861
South [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	96,900	205,562
South [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	927,400	806,513
West [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,106,053	933,362
West [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	7,724	8,417
West [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	191,995	198,689
West [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	906,334	726,256
California [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	2,288,535	2,063,173
California [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	5,337	14,386
California [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	989,689	899,675
California [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,293,509	1,149,112
Traditional Homebuilding [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	6,531,077	6,221,948
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	70,723	73,718
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,467,434	1,644,047
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	4,992,920	4,504,183
City Living [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	822,890	775,568
City Living [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,006	1,496
City Living [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	416,712	389,400
City Living [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	$ 405,172	$ 384,672