Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments	6 Months Ended
May. 31, 2015
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments [Abstract]
Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments	Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments Each community or land parcel in our owned inventory is assessed on a quarterly basis to determine if indicators of potential impairment exist. We record an inventory impairment charge when indicators of potential impairment exist and the carrying value of a real estate asset is greater than the undiscounted future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, which is primarily based on the estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risk associated with each such asset. We evaluated 26 and 14 communities or land parcels for recoverability during the six months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The carrying value of the communities or land parcels evaluated during the six months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014 was $212.5 million and $70.5 million, respectively. Some of the communities or land parcels evaluated during the six months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014 were evaluated in more than one quarterly period. Communities or land parcels evaluated for recoverability in more than one quarterly period, if any, are counted only once for each six-month period shown. Based on the results of our evaluations, we had no inventory impairment charges for the three months and six months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014. As of May 31, 2015, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $268.9 million, representing 26 communities and various other land parcels. As of November 30, 2014, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $266.6 million, representing 33 communities and various other land parcels. Our inventory controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts is assessed on a quarterly basis to determine whether it continues to meet our internal investment and marketing standards. When a decision is made not to exercise certain land option contracts and other similar contracts due to market conditions and/or changes in our strategy, we write off the related inventory costs, including non-refundable deposits and unrecoverable pre-acquisition costs. Based on the results of our assessments, we recognized land option contract abandonment charges of $.5 million corresponding to 114 lots for the three months ended May 31, 2015, and $1.0 million of such charges corresponding to 426 lots for the six months ended May 31, 2015. We recognized land option contract abandonment charges of $.4 million corresponding to 32 lots for the three months ended May 31, 2014, and $.8 million of such charges corresponding to 682 lots for the six months ended May 31, 2014. We sometimes abandon land option contracts and other similar contracts when we have incurred costs of less than $100,000; the corresponding lots, which totaled zero and 1,987 lots for the three months ended May 31, 2015 and May 31, 2014, respectively, and zero and 5,367 lots for the six months ended May 31, 2015 and May 31, 2014, respectively, and the related costs are not included in the amounts above. Due to the judgment and assumptions applied in our inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment assessment processes, it is possible that actual results could differ substantially from those estimated.

Inventory Impairments and Land Option Contract Abandonments

Each community or land parcel in our owned inventory is assessed on a quarterly basis to determine if indicators of potential impairment exist. We record an inventory impairment charge when indicators of potential impairment exist and the carrying value of a real estate asset is greater than the undiscounted future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. These real estate assets are written down to fair value, which is primarily based on the estimated future net cash flows discounted for inherent risk associated with each such asset. We evaluated 26 and 14 communities or land parcels for recoverability during the six months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The carrying value of the communities or land parcels evaluated during the six months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014 was $212.5 million and $70.5 million, respectively. Some of the communities or land parcels evaluated during the six months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014 were evaluated in more than one quarterly period. Communities or land parcels evaluated for recoverability in more than one quarterly period, if any, are counted only once for each six-month period shown. Based on the results of our evaluations, we had no inventory impairment charges for the three months and six months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014.

As of May 31, 2015, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $268.9 million, representing 26 communities and various other land parcels. As of November 30, 2014, the aggregate carrying value of our inventory that had been impacted by inventory impairment charges was $266.6 million, representing 33 communities and various other land parcels.

Our inventory controlled under land option contracts and other similar contracts is assessed on a quarterly basis to determine whether it continues to meet our internal investment and marketing standards. When a decision is made not to exercise certain land option contracts and other similar contracts due to market conditions and/or changes in our strategy, we write off the related inventory costs, including non-refundable deposits and unrecoverable pre-acquisition costs. Based on the results of our assessments, we recognized land option contract abandonment charges of $.5 million corresponding to 114 lots for the three months ended May 31, 2015, and $1.0 million of such charges corresponding to 426 lots for the six months ended May 31, 2015. We recognized land option contract abandonment charges of $.4 million corresponding to 32 lots for the three months ended May 31, 2014, and $.8 million of such charges corresponding to 682 lots for the six months ended May 31, 2014. We sometimes abandon land option contracts and other similar contracts when we have incurred costs of less than $100,000; the corresponding lots, which totaled zero and 1,987 lots for the three months ended May 31, 2015 and May 31, 2014, respectively, and zero and 5,367 lots for the six months ended May 31, 2015 and May 31, 2014, respectively, and the related costs are not included in the amounts above.

Due to the judgment and assumptions applied in our inventory impairment and land option contract abandonment assessment processes, it is possible that actual results could differ substantially from those estimated.