Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses at April 30, 2018 and October 31, 2017 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):



	April 30, 2018		October 31, 2017
Land, land development, and construction	$	160,174	$	146,168
Compensation and employee benefits	127,826		149,145
Escrow liability	36,897		45,209
Self-insurance	169,395		149,303
Warranty	297,343		329,278
Deferred income	37,633		42,798
Interest	40,318		36,035
Commitments to unconsolidated entities	9,025		8,870
Other	57,803		52,547
	$	936,414	$	959,353

As previously disclosed in Note 7, “Accrued Expenses” in our 2017 Form 10-K, in response to a significant number of water intrusion claims received in fiscal 2014 and thereafter, from owners of stucco and non-stucco homes in communities located in Pennsylvania and Delaware (which are in our Mid-Atlantic region), we reviewed homes built in these communities from 2002 through 2013 to determine whether repairs related to these homes would likely be needed.

Our quarterly review process includes an analysis of many factors to determine whether a claim is likely to be received and the estimated costs to resolve any such claim, including: the closing dates of the homes; the number of claims received; our inspection of homes; an estimate of the number of homes we expect to repair; the type and cost of repairs that have been performed in each community; the estimated costs to remediate pending and future claims; the expected recovery from our insurance carriers and suppliers; and the previously recorded amounts related to these claims. We also monitor legal developments relating to these types of claims and review the volume and relative merits of claims in litigation or arbitration.

Based on our review performed as of April 30, 2018, we determined that no adjustments to our previously recorded estimated costs were necessary. Our estimates are predicated on several assumptions for which there is uncertainty including assumptions about, but not limited to, the number of homes to be repaired, the extent of repairs needed, the cost of those repairs, outcomes of pending litigations, arbitrations, and investigations, and expected recoveries from insurance carriers and suppliers. Due to the degree of judgment required and the potential for variability in the underlying assumptions, it is reasonably possible that our actual costs and recoveries could differ from those recorded, such differences could be material, and therefore, we are unable to estimate the range of any such differences. As of April 30, 2018 and 2017, our recorded aggregate estimated repair costs to be incurred for known and unknown water intrusion claims was $324.4 million, which remains unchanged from the amounts recorded as of October 31, 2017 and 2016. As of April 30, 2018, we recorded an aggregate of $152.6 million of estimated recoveries from our insurance carriers and suppliers for these claims, which also remains unchanged from the amounts recorded as of October 31, 2017 and 2016.

Our recorded remaining estimated repair costs related to water intrusion were approximately $220.4 million as of April 30, 2018 and $251.8 million as of October 31, 2017. Our recorded remaining expected recoveries from insurance carriers and suppliers were approximately $105.5 million as of April 30, 2018 and $119.7 million as of October 31, 2017.

The table below provides, for the periods indicated, a reconciliation of the changes in our warranty accrual (amounts in thousands):



	Six months ended April 30,						Three months ended April 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Balance, beginning of period	$	329,278		$	370,992		$	311,450		$	364,058
Additions – homes closed during the period	14,687			12,701			8,462			7,597
Addition – liabilities acquired in a business acquisition				1,111
Increase in accruals for homes closed in prior years	3,154			3,188			1,211			1,494
Reclassification from other accruals				1,082						350
Charges incurred	(49,776		)	(33,140		)	(23,780		)	(17,565		)
Balance, end of period	$	297,343		$	355,934		$	297,343		$	355,934