Mortgages and Notes Payable (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended													12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2009	Nov. 30, 2011	Nov. 30, 2010	Aug. 15, 2011	Jul. 30, 2009	Nov. 30, 2008 Senior Subordinate Notes [Member]	Aug. 15, 2011 Senior Subordinate Notes [Member]	Jul. 14, 2008 Senior Subordinate Notes [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans (6% to 7% in 2011 and 3% to 7% in 2010) [Member]	Jul. 30, 2009 Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans (6% to 7% in 2011 and 3% to 7% in 2010) [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due 2014 at 5 3/4% [Member]	Jan. 28, 2004 Senior notes due 2014 at 5 3/4% [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due 2015 at 5 7/8% [Member]	Dec. 15, 2004 Senior notes due 2015 at 5 7/8% [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due 2015 at 6 1/4% [Member]	Jun. 02, 2005 Senior notes due 2015 at 6 1/4% [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due 2011 at 6 3/8% [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due 2017 at 9.1% [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior notes due 2018 at 7 1/4% [Member]	Apr. 03, 2006 Senior notes due 2018 at 7 1/4% [Member]	Jul. 30, 2009 Senior notes due 15 September 2017 [Member]	Nov. 30, 2009 Senior notes under the 2008 shelf registration [Member]	Jul. 30, 2009 Senior notes under the 2008 shelf registration [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Senior Notes Private Placement [Member]	Jun. 30, 2004 Senior Notes Private Placement [Member]
Mortgages and Notes Payable Additional (Textual) [Abstract]
Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans percentage minimum			3.00%						6.00%
Mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans percentage maximum			7.00%						7.00%
Letter of Credit Facility, collateral amount		$ 64.5	$ 88.7
Letter of credit facility outstanding		63.8	87.5
Senior notes		350.0	265.0									250.0		300.0		450.0				300.0	265.0		265.0		350.0
Senior notes, rate											5.75%	5.75%	5.875%	5.875%	6.25%	6.25%	6.375%	9.10%	7.25%	7.25%
Repayment of aggregate principal amount of senior notes		100.0		100.0	250.0
Principal amount of early redeemed Senior Subordinate Notes							350
Percentage of principal amount for purchase of notes if change in control																					101.00%
Principal amount of the notes in a private placement																					98.014%
Loss on early redemption of debt						7.1
Percentage of principal amount in relation to redemption value of notes								101.938%
Percentage of price equal to the redemption value of senior notes												100.00%		100.00%		100.00%				100.00%	100.00%				100.00%
Maturity Date																								Aug. 15, 2011
Total consideration paid to purchase the notes																						252.5
Gains on early extinguishment of Debt		3.6								2.7
Percentage of principal amount in relation to issued value of senior notes												99.474%		99.357%		100.614%				99.486%					99.30%
Mortgages and Notes Payable (Textual) [Abstract]
Aggregate commitment under the credit facility		0	650.0
Reduction of aggregate commitment under the credit facility		0	200.0
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2011		25.0
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2012		0
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2013		249.6
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2014		749.1
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due 2015		0
Principal payments on senior notes, mortgages and land contracts due to land sellers and other loans due thereafter		559.9
Primarily inventories carrying value		62.3
Loss on early redemption of Debt	$ 3.7	$ 0