Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Aug. 31, 2017	Aug. 31, 2016	Aug. 31, 2017	Aug. 31, 2016	Nov. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		$ 7,094	$ 2,579	$ 14,613	$ 13,855	$ 49,600
Inventory, Homes under Construction		1,501,477		1,501,477		1,245,938
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		1,584,478		1,584,478		1,727,657
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	[1]	427,839		427,839		429,633
Inventory, Operative Builders		3,513,794		3,513,794		3,403,228
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		1,140,787	910,111	2,957,105	2,394,315
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		79,208	53,463	152,649	94,287
Assets:
Total assets		5,099,559		5,099,559		5,131,624
Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		76,224	51,050	145,288	89,171
Assets:
Total assets		5,086,872		5,086,872		5,121,125
Financial services [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		2,984	2,413	7,361	5,116
Assets:
Total assets		12,687		12,687		10,499
West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		4,992	2,579	8,136	7,153
Inventory, Homes under Construction		852,965		852,965		695,742
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		698,736		698,736		820,088
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		222,327		222,327		210,910
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		609,598	414,150	1,426,030	1,029,269
West Coast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		58,922	36,912	118,271	78,647
Assets:
Total assets		1,920,337		1,920,337		1,847,279
Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		2,102	0	3,445	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction		170,805		170,805		130,886
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		280,754		280,754		268,507
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		111,220		111,220		122,927
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		132,307	106,187	376,132	318,190
Southwest [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		11,648	8,592	30,269	31,229
Assets:
Total assets		598,085		598,085		564,636
Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	0	0	787
Inventory, Homes under Construction		368,112		368,112		297,290
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		432,448		432,448		456,508
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		14,496		14,496		15,439
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		291,006	265,524	826,008	707,917
Central [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		28,921	27,601	75,584	61,515
Assets:
Total assets		934,610		934,610		909,497
Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	0	3,032	5,915
Inventory, Homes under Construction		109,595		109,595		122,020
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		172,540		172,540		182,554
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		79,796		79,796		80,357
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		107,876	124,250	328,935	338,939
Southeast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		1,129	2,329	(605)	(11,825)
Assets:
Total assets		369,484		369,484		414,730
Corporate and Other [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		(24,396)	(24,384)	(78,231)	(70,395)
Assets:
Total assets		1,264,356		1,264,356		$ 1,384,983
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		1,019	473	3,509	2,903
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		903	270	2,738	691
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		0	142	0	253
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		0	0	518	460
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		$ 116	61	$ 253	1,499
Metro Washington, D.C. [Member] | Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination			$ 1,438		1,400
Metro Washington, D.C. [Member] | Land [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate					$ 5,400

[1] Land held for sale totaled $56.1 million at August 31, 2017 and $63.4 million at November 30, 2016.