Notes Payable (Narratives) (Details)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jan. 13, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Aug. 31, 2016 shares	Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares	Jul. 27, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 26, 2017 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Issuance Costs, Net		$ 16,800,000		$ 16,800,000				$ 21,800,000
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity						$ 500,000,000	$ 275,000,000
Letters of credit outstanding		$ 33,000,000		$ 33,000,000				31,000,000
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Conversion of Debt Securities (in shares) | shares		8,402,000	8,402,000	8,402,000	8,402,000
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt				$ (5,685,000)	$ 0
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 2,502,379,000		2,502,379,000				2,640,149,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months		179,000,000		179,000,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two		310,100,000		310,100,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three		630,000,000		630,000,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four		350,000,000		350,000,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five		0		0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five		1,050,000,000		1,050,000,000
Inventories pledged to collateralize mortgages and land contracts, carrying value		$ 73,500,000		73,500,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unsecured revolving credit facility, expiration date		Jul. 27, 2021
Unsecured revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		$ 600,000,000		600,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		0		0
Unsecured revolving credit facility, remaining borrowing capacity		$ 467,000,000		467,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage		0.30%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage		0.45%
Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unsecured revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		$ 250,000,000		250,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		33,000,000		33,000,000
Unsecured revolving credit facility, remaining borrowing capacity		217,000,000		217,000,000
LOC Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding		0		0				0
Mortgages and Land Contracts Due to Land Sellers and Other Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 24,142,000		$ 24,142,000				$ 66,927,000
Convertible Notes Payable [Member] | Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen At One Point Three Seven Five Percent [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, rate		1.375%		1.375%				1.375%
Debt instrument, conversion ratio		0.0365297
Debt instrument, convertible, conversion price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 27.37		$ 27.37
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Conversion of Debt Securities (in shares) | shares		8,401,831
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 228,272,000		$ 228,272,000				$ 227,379,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior notes due June 15, 2018 at 7 1/4%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, rate		7.25%		7.25%				7.25%
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 299,811,000		$ 299,811,000				$ 299,647,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior notes due September 15, 2017 at 9.10%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, rate		9.10%		9.10%				9.10%
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 164,963,000		$ 164,963,000				$ 263,932,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen at Four Point Seven Five Percent [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, rate		4.75%		4.75%				4.75%
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 398,134,000		$ 398,134,000				$ 397,364,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior notes due March 15, 2020 at 8.00%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, rate		8.00%		8.00%				8.00%
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 345,869,000		$ 345,869,000				$ 344,811,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior notes due September 15, 2022 at 7.50%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, rate		7.50%		7.50%				7.50%
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 347,116,000		$ 347,116,000				$ 346,774,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty Three At Seven Point Six Two Five Percent [Domain]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, rate		7.625%		7.625%				7.625%
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 247,643,000		$ 247,643,000				$ 247,404,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Seventeen at Nine Point One Percent [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, rate		9.10%		9.10%
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount	$ 100,000,000
Debt Instrument Redemption Aggregate Price				$ 105,300,000
Notes and Loans Payable		$ 165,000,000		$ 165,000,000