Information on Geographic Segments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2011

Geographic Segments (Tables) [Abstract]

Revenue and (loss) income before income taxes

							(Loss) income before
	Revenues						income taxes
	2011		2010		2009		2011			2010			2009
North	$	381.6	$	407.7	$	585.3	$	42.5		$	(2.3	)	$	(103.3	)
Mid-Atlantic		499.7		488.4		492.7		57.6			33.9			(25.0	)
South		285.0		264.3		288.2		(25.9	)		(35.2	)		(49.4	)
West		309.6		334.4		389.1		(27.1	)		(11.9	)		(209.0	)
Corporate and other								(76.5	)		(101.7	)		(109.8	)
Total	$	1,475.9	$	1,494.8	$	1,755.3	$	(29.4	)	$	(117.2	)	$	(496.5	)

Total assets

	2011		2010
North	$	1,060.2	$	961.3
Mid-Atlantic		1,235.9		1,161.5
South		760.1		693.8
West		650.8		712.4
Corporate and other		1,348.2		1,642.6
Total	$	5,055.2	$	5,171.6

Inventory impairment charges, net carrying value of investing, and write-downs of investments

	Net Carrying Value				Impairments
	At October 31,				Year ended October 31,
	2011		2010		2011		2010			2009
Inventory:
Land controlled for future communities:
North	$	19.4	$	3.6	$	0.9	$	4.0		$	17.3
Mid-Atlantic		21.6		14.8		0.3		(0.1	)		7.8
South		3.8		11.0		0.3		(0.2	)		0.4
West		1.8		2.5		16.2		2.4			3.0
		46.6		31.9		17.7		6.1			28.5
Land owned for future communities:
North		231.1		208.5			$	15.9			51.0
Mid-Atlantic		455.8		452.9	$	0.3		9.0			23.8
South		125.4		119.8		16.7		14.0			1.2
West		166.8		142.8				16.8			93.5
		979.1		924.0		17.0		55.7			169.5
Operating communities:
North		738.5		685.3	$	2.9	$	9.6			77.1
Mid-Atlantic		659.1		662.4		3.7		2.1			28.0
South		539.6		443.3		3.8		23.4			51.2
West		453.8		494.8		6.7		18.4			111.1
		2,391.0		2,285.8		17.1		53.5			267.4
Total	$	3,416.7	$	3,241.7	$	51.8	$	115.3		$	465.4
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities:
North	$	40.8	$	47.6						$	6.0
South		32.0		51.7	$	15.2
West		17.1		58.5		25.7					5.3
Corporate		36.5		40.6
Total	$	126.4	$	198.4	$	40.9	$	—		$	11.3