Mortgages and Notes Payable (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended									0 Months Ended					0 Months Ended					0 Months Ended										0 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012	Feb. 29, 2012	Nov. 30, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011	Nov. 30, 2010	Aug. 15, 2011 Senior notes due 2011 at 6 3/8%	Jul. 30, 2009 Senior notes due 2011 at 6 3/8%	Jun. 30, 2004 Senior notes due 2011 at 6 3/8%	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior notes due September 15, 2017 at 9.10%	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due September 15, 2017 at 9.10%	Jul. 30, 2009 Senior notes due September 15, 2017 at 9.10%	Jul. 31, 2012 Senior notes due February 1, 2014 at 5 3/4%	Feb. 07, 2012 Senior notes due February 1, 2014 at 5 3/4%	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior notes due February 1, 2014 at 5 3/4%	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due February 1, 2014 at 5 3/4%	Jan. 28, 2004 Senior notes due February 1, 2014 at 5 3/4%	Jul. 31, 2012 Senior notes due January 15, 2015 at 5 7/8%	Feb. 07, 2012 Senior notes due January 15, 2015 at 5 7/8%	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior notes due January 15, 2015 at 5 7/8%	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due January 15, 2015 at 5 7/8%	Dec. 15, 2004 Senior notes due January 15, 2015 at 5 7/8%	Jul. 31, 2012 Senior notes due June 15, 2015 at 6 1/4%	Feb. 07, 2012 Senior notes due June 15, 2015 at 6 1/4%	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior notes due June 15, 2015 at 6 1/4%	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due June 15, 2015 at 6 1/4%	Jun. 02, 2005 Senior notes due June 15, 2015 at 6 1/4%	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior notes due June 15, 2018 at 7 1/4%	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due June 15, 2018 at 7 1/4%	Apr. 03, 2006 Senior notes due June 15, 2018 at 7 1/4%	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior notes due March 15, 2020 at 8.00%	Feb. 07, 2012 Senior notes due March 15, 2020 at 8.00%	Jul. 31, 2012 Senior notes due September 15, 2022 at 7.50%	Nov. 30, 2012 Senior notes due September 15, 2022 at 7.50%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount			$ 41,900,000	$ 63,800,000
Cash maintained at LOC facilities			42,400,000	64,500,000
Gain on early extinguishment of debt	8,300,000	2,000,000	10,300,000	(3,600,000)
Primarily inventories carrying value			94,100,000
Senior notes								350,000,000			265,000,000					250,000,000					300,000,000					450,000,000			300,000,000	350,000,000	350,000,000	350,000,000	350,000,000
Senior notes, rate								6.375%	9.10%	9.10%	9.10%			5.75%	5.75%	5.75%			5.88%	5.88%	5.875%			6.25%	6.25%	6.25%	7.25%	7.25%	7.25%	8.00%	8.00%	7.50%	7.50%
Percentage of principal amount in relation to issued value of senior notes								99.30%			98.014%					99.474%					99.357%					100.614%			99.486%		101.00%	100.00%
Total consideration paid to purchase the notes		340,500,000										117,700,000	56,300,000				67,800,000	130,000,000				59,400,000	153,700,000
Repayment of aggregate principal amount of senior notes						100,000,000	250,000,000
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes			694,831,000	0	0																											252,200,000
Percentage of principal amount for purchase of notes if change in control			101.00%
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2013			37,900,000
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2014			88,800,000
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2015			340,400,000
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2016			0
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2017			261,400,000
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due thereafter			$ 994,300,000