Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Income Tax Expense. We recognized income tax expense of $2.7 million for the three months ended February 28, 2015 and $.2 million for the three months ended February 28, 2014. Our income tax expense for the three months ended February 28, 2015 reflected the favorable net impact of $1.4 million of federal energy tax credits we earned from building energy-efficient homes, resulting in an effective tax rate of 25.7%. Our effective tax rate for the three months ended February 28, 2014 was not a meaningful item due to the effects of the full valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets at that time. The tax credit impact recognized in the three months ended February 28, 2015 resulted from the Tax Increase Prevention Act, which was enacted into law on December 19, 2014. Among other things, the law retroactively extended the availability of a business tax credit for building new energy-efficient homes through December 31, 2014. Prior to this legislation, the tax credit expired on December 31, 2013. Deferred Tax Asset Valuation Allowance. We evaluate our deferred tax assets quarterly to determine if adjustments to the valuation allowance are required based on the consideration of all available positive and negative evidence using a “more likely than not” standard with respect to whether deferred tax assets will be realized. Our evaluation considers, among other factors, our historical operating results, our expectation of future profitability, the duration of the applicable statutory carryforward periods, and conditions in the housing market and the broader economy. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets depends primarily on the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which the related temporary differences in the financial basis and the tax basis of the assets become deductible. The value of our deferred tax assets will depend on applicable income tax rates. Based on our evaluation through August 31, 2014, we maintained a full valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty of their realization. At November 30, 2014, we evaluated the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets of $866.4 million and determined that it was more likely than not that most of our deferred tax assets would be realized. Accordingly, we reversed $825.2 million of the deferred tax asset valuation allowance in the fourth quarter of 2014. The remaining deferred tax asset valuation allowance of $41.2 million at November 30, 2014 was primarily related to foreign tax credits and certain state net operating losses (“NOL”) that had not met the “more likely than not” realization standard. During the three months ended February 28, 2015, we made no adjustments to our deferred tax asset valuation allowance. Therefore, at February 28, 2015, we had deferred tax assets of $863.8 million that were partly offset by a valuation allowance of $41.2 million. Unrecognized Tax Benefits. At both February 28, 2015 and November 30, 2014, our gross unrecognized tax benefits (including interest and penalties) totaled $.3 million, of which $.1 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. We anticipate that these gross unrecognized tax benefits will decrease by an amount ranging from zero to $.1 million during the 12 months from this reporting date due to various state tax filings associated with the resolution of a federal tax audit. Our fiscal years ending 2011 and later remain open to federal examinations, while fiscal years 2010 and later remain open to state examinations.

Income Taxes

Income Tax Expense. We recognized income tax expense of $2.7 million for the three months ended February 28, 2015 and $.2 million for the three months ended February 28, 2014. Our income tax expense for the three months ended February 28, 2015 reflected the favorable net impact of $1.4 million of federal energy tax credits we earned from building energy-efficient homes, resulting in an effective tax rate of 25.7%. Our effective tax rate for the three months ended February 28, 2014 was not a meaningful item due to the effects of the full valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets at that time.

The tax credit impact recognized in the three months ended February 28, 2015 resulted from the Tax Increase Prevention Act, which was enacted into law on December 19, 2014. Among other things, the law retroactively extended the availability of a business tax credit for building new energy-efficient homes through December 31, 2014. Prior to this legislation, the tax credit expired on December 31, 2013.

Deferred Tax Asset Valuation Allowance. We evaluate our deferred tax assets quarterly to determine if adjustments to the valuation allowance are required based on the consideration of all available positive and negative evidence using a “more likely than not” standard with respect to whether deferred tax assets will be realized. Our evaluation considers, among other factors, our historical operating results, our expectation of future profitability, the duration of the applicable statutory carryforward periods, and conditions in the housing market and the broader economy. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets depends primarily on the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which the related temporary differences in the financial basis and the tax basis of the assets become deductible. The value of our deferred tax assets will depend on applicable income tax rates. Based on our evaluation through August 31, 2014, we maintained a full valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty of their realization. At November 30, 2014, we evaluated the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets of $866.4 million and determined that it was more likely than not that most of our deferred tax assets would be realized. Accordingly, we reversed $825.2 million of the deferred tax asset valuation allowance in the fourth quarter of 2014. The remaining deferred tax asset valuation allowance of $41.2 million at November 30, 2014 was primarily related to foreign tax credits and certain state net operating losses (“NOL”) that had not met the “more likely than not” realization standard.

During the three months ended February 28, 2015, we made no adjustments to our deferred tax asset valuation allowance. Therefore, at February 28, 2015, we had deferred tax assets of $863.8 million that were partly offset by a valuation allowance of $41.2 million.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits. At both February 28, 2015 and November 30, 2014, our gross unrecognized tax benefits (including interest and penalties) totaled $.3 million, of which $.1 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. We anticipate that these gross unrecognized tax benefits will decrease by an amount ranging from zero to $.1 million during the 12 months from this reporting date due to various state tax filings associated with the resolution of a federal tax audit. Our fiscal years ending 2011 and later remain open to federal examinations, while fiscal years 2010 and later remain open to state examinations.