Other Income - Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2016	Jul. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Interest income			$ 5,988	$ 2,443	$ 1,939
Income from Ancillary Businesses			16,276	17,473	23,530
Management fee income from unconsolidated entities			12,902	10,270	11,299
Retained customer deposits			5,801	5,866	5,224
Land sales, net			8,621	13,327	13,150
Other			1,063	2,193	2,263
Total other income - net			53,309	58,218	67,573
Revenues and expenses of non-core ancillary businesses
Revenue			132,619	123,512	119,732
Expense			116,343	106,039	96,202
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue			284,928	85,268	183,870
Expense			(278,034)	(70,488)	(161,460)
Land sales, net			8,621	13,327	13,150
Gibraltar [Member]
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Gibraltar			2,658	6,646	10,168
Rental Property Joint Venture Princeton Junction [Member]
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Deferred gain on land sale to joint venture			(2,996)
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		$ (9,300)			(9,260)
Deferred Revenue, Revenue Recognized			4,723	1,546
Rental Property Joint Ventures Metro Washington, D.C. [Member]
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Land sales, net	$ 3,000
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue				38,100
Deferred gain on land sale to joint venture			$ (2,999)	$ (2,999)
Land sales, net	$ 3,000