Variable Interest Entities (Details) $ in Thousands	Feb. 28, 2017 USD ($) joint_venture	Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($) joint_venture
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures | joint_venture	7	7
Cash Deposits	$ 38,153	$ 42,829
Aggregate Purchase Price	884,122	1,073,596
Pre-acquisition costs related to land option contracts and other similar contracts	35,600	56,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	31,000	31,000
Increase in inventories and accrued expenses and other liabilities	$ 28,000	$ 50,500
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures | joint_venture	1	1
Cash Deposits	$ 15,085	$ 24,910
Aggregate Purchase Price	452,478	641,642
Non-VIE Other land option contracts and other similar contracts [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Cash Deposits	23,068	17,919
Aggregate Purchase Price	$ 431,644	$ 431,954