Variable Interest Entities (Details) $ in Thousands	May 31, 2016 USD ($) joint_venture	Nov. 30, 2015 USD ($) joint_venture
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures | joint_venture	7	7
Cash Deposits	$ 47,392	$ 54,537
Aggregate Purchase Price	957,514	1,187,707
Pre-acquisition costs related to land option contracts and other similar contracts	63,200	65,600
Increase in inventories and accrued expenses and other liabilities	$ 77,600	$ 110,000
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures	1	0
Cash Deposits	$ 26,231	$ 32,436
Aggregate Purchase Price	571,247	611,567
Non-VIE Other land option contracts and other similar contracts [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Cash Deposits	21,161	22,101
Aggregate Purchase Price	$ 386,267	$ 576,140