Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Aug. 31, 2020	Aug. 31, 2019	Aug. 31, 2020	Aug. 31, 2019	Nov. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments				$ 16,939	$ 13,143
Revenues:
Total revenues		$ 999,013	$ 1,160,786	2,988,918	2,994,072
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)		101,315	91,936	237,952	183,208
Inventories: Homes under Construction		1,316,467		1,316,467		$ 1,340,412
Inventories: Land under development		2,234,992		2,234,992		2,213,713
Inventories: Land held for future development or sale	[1]	119,670		119,670		150,477
Inventories		3,671,129		3,671,129		3,704,602
Assets
Total assets		5,177,427		5,177,427		5,015,482
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Land option contract abandonment charges		400	400	5,400	1,700
Home Building [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments		6,888	5,251	16,939	13,143
Revenues:
Total revenues		995,148	1,156,855	2,977,810	2,984,314
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)		91,651	85,292	214,871	169,499
Inventories		3,671,129		3,671,129		3,704,602
Assets
Total assets		5,142,666		5,142,666		4,977,086
Home Building [Member] | West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments		5,546	5,065	10,610	12,148
Revenues:
Total revenues		379,025	497,654	1,195,404	1,194,728
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)		34,353	43,775	96,202	86,480
Assets
Total assets		1,916,237		1,916,237		1,925,192
Home Building [Member] | Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments		0	126	171	408
Revenues:
Total revenues		223,096	180,238	589,665	522,721
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)		39,295	26,366	96,298	76,433
Assets
Total assets		699,777		699,777		674,310
Home Building [Member] | Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments		1,084	0	5,520	366
Revenues:
Total revenues		297,022	326,058	864,728	874,730
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)		35,422	34,417	84,996	80,199
Assets
Total assets		977,535		977,535		1,035,563
Home Building [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments		258	60	638	221
Revenues:
Total revenues		96,005	152,905	328,013	392,135
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)		5,986	5,272	15,245	5,316
Assets
Total assets		417,349		417,349		441,451
Home Building [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)		(23,405)	$ (24,538)	(77,870)	$ (78,929)
Assets
Total assets		$ 1,131,768		$ 1,131,768		$ 900,570

[1] Land held for sale totaled $1.3 million at August 31, 2020 and $19.3 million at November 30, 2019.