Information on Segments (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Inventory
Inventory	$ 7,281,453	$ 7,353,967
Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	87,158	71,729
Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,142,870	1,884,146
Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	6,051,425	5,398,092
North [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,024,672	983,165
North [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	23,944	20,671
North [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	130,964	79,299
North [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	869,764	883,195
Mid-Atlantic [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,071,298	1,123,000
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	32,674	30,967
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	87,642	109,551
Mid-Atlantic [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	950,982	982,482
South [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,012,170	1,030,324
South [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	8,892	6,024
South [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	51,391	96,900
South [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	951,887	927,400
West [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,255,275	1,106,053
West [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	12,087	7,724
West [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	89,184	191,995
West [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,154,004	906,334
California [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	2,415,130	2,288,535
California [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	5,550	5,337
California [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	640,306	989,689
California [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	1,769,274	1,293,509
Traditional Homebuilding [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	6,778,545	6,531,077
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	83,147	70,723
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	999,487	1,467,434
Traditional Homebuilding [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	5,695,911	4,992,920
City Living [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	502,908	822,890
City Living [Member] | Land controlled for future communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	4,011	1,006
City Living [Member] | Land Owned for Future Communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	143,383	416,712
City Living [Member] | Operating communities [Member]
Inventory
Inventory	$ 355,514	$ 405,172