Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2011	Aug. 31, 2010	Aug. 31, 2011	Aug. 31, 2010	Nov. 30, 2010
Revenues
Total homebuilding revenues	$ 364,532	$ 498,821	$ 829,816	$ 1,133,846
Financial services	2,784	2,182	6,178	5,187
Total revenues	367,316	501,003	835,994	1,139,033
Pretax income (loss)
Total homebuilding pretax income (loss)	(10,716)	(9,121)	(195,900)	(100,304)
Financial services	1,067	2,424	3,321	8,494
Total pretax income (loss)	(9,649)	(6,697)	(192,579)	(91,810)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	64	(1,947)	(55,865)	(4,679)
Inventory impairments
Total inventory impairments	328	1,434	21,414	8,269	9,800
Land Option Contract Abandonments
Total land option contract abandonments	834	1,943	2,093	8,470
Joint Venture Impairments
Total joint venture impairments	0	0	53,727	0
Assets
Total homebuilding	2,699,989		2,699,989		3,080,306
Financial services	21,828		21,828		29,443
Total assets	2,721,817		2,721,817		3,109,749
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures
Total	51,255		51,255		105,583
Segment Information (Textuals) [Abstract]
Ownership interest in the KBA Mortgage joint venture			50.00%
West Coast [Member]
Revenues
Total homebuilding revenues	175,434	211,294	354,348	483,383
Pretax income (loss)
Total homebuilding pretax income (loss)	3,336	15,024	9,927	31,080
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	67	230	50	877
Inventory impairments
Total inventory impairments	328	1,434	1,679	2,630
Land Option Contract Abandonments
Total land option contract abandonments	0	722	112	722
Joint Venture Impairments
Total joint venture impairments	0	0	0	0
Assets
Total homebuilding	1,082,087		1,082,087		965,323
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures
Total	38,216		38,216		37,830
Southwest [Member]
Revenues
Total homebuilding revenues	39,479	55,914	91,411	149,364
Pretax income (loss)
Total homebuilding pretax income (loss)	3,201	(1,802)	(113,620)	(11,799)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	0	(2,177)	(55,902)	(6,457)
Inventory impairments
Total inventory impairments	0	0	18,715	962
Land Option Contract Abandonments
Total land option contract abandonments	0	0	296	0
Joint Venture Impairments
Total joint venture impairments	0	0	53,727	0
Assets
Total homebuilding	315,847		315,847		376,234
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures
Total	4,186		4,186		59,191
Central [Member]
Revenues
Total homebuilding revenues	102,702	140,035	247,492	314,786
Pretax income (loss)
Total homebuilding pretax income (loss)	(2,187)	5,441	(12,389)	(3,666)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0	0	0
Inventory impairments
Total inventory impairments	0	0	51	0
Land Option Contract Abandonments
Total land option contract abandonments	834	0	1,074	6,340
Joint Venture Impairments
Total joint venture impairments	0	0	0	0
Assets
Total homebuilding	355,638		355,638		328,938
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures
Total	0		0		0
Southeast [Member]
Revenues
Total homebuilding revenues	46,917	91,578	136,565	186,313
Pretax income (loss)
Total homebuilding pretax income (loss)	(7,156)	(10,853)	(30,177)	(42,114)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures	(3)	0	(13)	901
Inventory impairments
Total inventory impairments	0	0	969	4,677
Land Option Contract Abandonments
Total land option contract abandonments	0	1,221	611	1,408
Joint Venture Impairments
Total joint venture impairments	0	0	0	0
Assets
Total homebuilding	356,830		356,830		372,611
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures
Total	8,853		8,853		8,562
Corporate and Other [Member]
Pretax income (loss)
Total homebuilding pretax income (loss)	(7,910)	(16,931)	(49,641)	(73,805)
Assets
Total homebuilding	$ 589,587		$ 589,587		$ 1,037,200