Mortgages and Notes Payable (Narratives) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended					0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2013	Nov. 30, 2013	Aug. 31, 2014 Letter of Credit [Member]	Mar. 12, 2013 Letter of Credit [Member]	Mar. 12, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 12, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Minimum [Member]	Mar. 12, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jan. 29, 2013 Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen At One Point Three Seven Five Percent [Member] [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Mortgages and Land Contracts Due to Land Sellers and Other Loans [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Mortgages and Land Contracts Due to Land Sellers and Other Loans [Member]	Jan. 29, 2013 Convertible Notes Payable [Member] Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen At One Point Three Seven Five Percent [Member] [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Convertible Notes Payable [Member] Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen At One Point Three Seven Five Percent [Member] [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Convertible Notes Payable [Member] Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen At One Point Three Seven Five Percent [Member] [Member]	Mar. 25, 2014 Senior Notes [Member] Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen at Four Point Seven Five Percent [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Senior Notes [Member] Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen at Four Point Seven Five Percent [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Senior Notes [Member] Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen at Four Point Seven Five Percent [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Senior Notes [Member] Senior notes due March 15, 2020 at 8.00%	Nov. 30, 2013 Senior Notes [Member] Senior notes due March 15, 2020 at 8.00%	Aug. 31, 2014 Senior Notes [Member] Senior notes due September 15, 2017 at 9.10%	Nov. 30, 2013 Senior Notes [Member] Senior notes due September 15, 2017 at 9.10%	Aug. 31, 2014 Senior Notes [Member] Senior notes due September 15, 2022 at 7.50%	Nov. 30, 2013 Senior Notes [Member] Senior notes due September 15, 2022 at 7.50%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	$ 200,000,000		$ 200,000,000
Unsecured revolving credit facility, expiration date								Mar. 12, 2016
Unsecured revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity							100,000,000	300,000,000
Line of credit facility, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage										0.50%	0.75%
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding									0
Unsecured revolving credit facility, remaining borrowing capacity						100,000,000			200,000,000
Line of credit facility, significant subsidiary threshold, percent			5.00%
Line of credit facility, non guarantor subsidiary threshold, percent			10.00%
Debt Instrument, Face Amount															230,000,000			400,000,000.0
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt			400,000,000	230,000,000														394,600,000
Senior notes, rate												1.375%				1.375%	1.375%		4.75%		8.00%	8.00%	9.10%	9.10%	7.50%	7.50%
Percentage of Principal Amount in Relation to Issued Value of Senior Notes															100.00%			100.00%
Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Shares Issued															36.5297
Debt instrument, convertible, conversion price															$ 27.37
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Conversion of Debt Securities	8,402,000	8,402,000	8,402,000	0											8,401,831
Percentage of principal amount in relation to redemption value of notes																100.00%
Percentage of principal amount for purchase of notes if change in control																100.00%
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes															222,700,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months	10,300,000		10,300,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	218,400,000		218,400,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	14,100,000		14,100,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	262,600,000		262,600,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	299,400,000		299,400,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	1,780,000,000		1,780,000,000
Ownership share in guarantor subsidiaries (percent)			100.00%
Letters of credit outstanding	31,900,000		31,900,000		41,500,000
Inventories pledged to collateralize mortgages and land contracts, carrying value	125,100,000		125,100,000
Notes and Loans Payable	$ 2,580,800,000		$ 2,580,800,000		$ 2,150,498,000								$ 42,884,000	$ 13,615,000		$ 230,000,000	$ 230,000,000		$ 400,000,000	$ 0	$ 346,113,000	$ 345,710,000	$ 262,553,000	$ 262,048,000	$ 350,000,000	$ 350,000,000