Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Feb. 28, 2017	Feb. 29, 2016	Nov. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		$ 3,217	$ 1,346	$ 49,600
Inventory, Homes under Construction		1,332,386		1,245,938
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		1,658,275		1,727,657
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	[1]	432,683		429,633
Inventory, Operative Builders		3,423,344		3,403,228
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		816,246	675,742
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		21,459	16,027
Assets:
Total assets		4,922,580		5,131,624
Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		19,899	14,844
Assets:
Total assets		4,907,062		5,121,125
Financial services [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		1,560	1,183
Assets:
Total assets		15,518		10,499
West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction		760,720		695,742
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		754,126		820,088
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		206,063		210,910
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		355,832	283,846
West Coast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		22,853	22,116
Assets:
Total assets		1,850,374		1,847,279
Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		1,343	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction		137,732		130,886
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		253,674		268,507
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		132,183		122,927
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		117,636	100,332
Southwest [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		8,672	12,503
Assets:
Total assets		566,631		564,636
Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	787
Inventory, Homes under Construction		314,071		297,290
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		473,646		456,508
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		15,342		15,439
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		242,256	202,161
Central [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		19,678	10,579
Assets:
Total assets		926,252		909,497
Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		1,874	559
Inventory, Homes under Construction		119,863		122,020
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		176,829		182,554
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		79,095		80,357
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		100,522	89,403
Southeast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		(2,213)	(7,564)
Assets:
Total assets		396,643		414,730
Corporate and Other [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		(29,091)	(22,790)
Assets:
Total assets		1,167,162		$ 1,384,983
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		791	620
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		791	160
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		0	0
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		0	460
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		$ 0	$ 0

[1] Land held for sale totaled $71.7 million at February 28, 2017 and $63.4 million at November 30, 2016.