Geographic Segments (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2012

Geographic Segments [Abstract]

Revenue and (loss) income before income taxes and total assets

		September 30,			September 30,
	Three months ended January 31,
	2012			2011
Revenue:
North	$	75,580		$	82,497
Mid-Atlantic		100,799			103,815
South		76,466			61,903
West		69,110			85,901
Total	$	321,955		$	334,116
(Loss) income before income taxes:
North	$	1,201		$	7,068
Mid-Atlantic		10,642			8,088
South		(2,077	)		(1,348	)
West		5,603			(15,240	)
Corporate and other		(21,777	)		(15,615	)
Total	$	(6,408	)	$	(17,047	)

		September 30,		September 30,
	January 31, 2012		October 31, 2011
North	$	1,102,276	$	1,060,215
Mid-Atlantic		1,305,586		1,235,847
South		771,461		760,097
West		785,085		650,844
Corporate and other		1,010,494		1,348,243
Total	$	4,974,902	$	5,055,246

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

		September 30,		September 30,		September 30,			September 30,
	Net Carrying Value				Three months ended
	At January 31,		At October 31,		January 31,
	2012		2011		2012			2011
Inventory:
Land controlled for future communities:
North	$	11,462	$	19,390	$	24		$	158
Mid-Atlantic		22,045		21,592		199			66
South		5,016		3,812		555			306
West		4,692		1,787		(1	)		(879	)
		43,215		46,581		777			(349	)
Land owned for future communities:
North		244,835	$	231,085
Mid-Atlantic		473,981		455,818
South		132,936		125,461		918
West		216,995		166,781
		1,068,747		979,145		918			—
Operating communities:
North		764,010		738,473		2,265			1,275
Mid-Atlantic		682,497		659,081
South		551,990		539,582		4,160
West		544,641		453,861					4,200
		2,543,138		2,390,997		6,425			5,475
Total	$	3,655,100	$	3,416,723	$	8,120		$	5,126
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities:
North	$	119,389	$	40,734
South		30,746		32,000
West		8,592		17,098				$	20,000
Corporate		34,899		36,523
Total	$	193,626	$	126,355	$	—		$	20,000