Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Feb. 28, 2018	Feb. 28, 2017	Nov. 30, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		$ 4,699	$ 3,217
Inventory, Homes under Construction		1,293,915		$ 1,236,848
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		1,766,034		1,651,339
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	[1]	381,625		375,199
Inventory, Operative Builders		3,441,574		3,263,386
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		869,205	816,246
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		46,045	21,459
Assets:
Total assets		4,957,101		5,041,515
Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		44,161	19,899
Assets:
Total assets		4,945,544		5,029,158
Financial services [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		1,884	1,560
Assets:
Total assets		11,557		12,357
West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		4,699	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction		666,333		638,639
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		844,556		723,761
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		230,592		233,188
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		386,652	355,832
West Coast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		31,593	22,853
Assets:
Total assets		1,890,866		1,747,786
Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	1,343
Inventory, Homes under Construction		188,344		179,240
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		289,603		309,672
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		64,386		62,475
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		151,899	117,636
Southwest [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		14,977	8,672
Assets:
Total assets		588,495		586,666
Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction		329,996		320,205
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		443,261		435,373
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		18,890		12,654
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		244,181	242,256
Central [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		19,095	19,678
Assets:
Total assets		917,837		901,516
Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	1,874
Inventory, Homes under Construction		109,242		98,764
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		188,614		182,533
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		67,757		66,882
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		86,473	100,522
Southeast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		1,320	(2,213)
Assets:
Total assets		375,322		359,307
Corporate and Other [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		(22,824)	(29,091)
Assets:
Total assets		1,173,024		$ 1,433,883
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		286	791
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		208	791
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		78	0
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		$ 0	$ 0

[1] Land held for sale totaled $27.8 million at February 28, 2018 and $21.8 million at November 30, 2017.