Note 5 (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2013		Jul. 31, 2012
Note 5 (Details) [Line Items]
Number Of Communities Evaluated For Impairment	374		374
Number of Communities Performed Detailed Impairment Calculations	30		30
Carrying Value Of Communities Tested For Impairment	$ 82,500,000		$ 82,500,000
Number Of Communities Tested For Impairment For Which Undiscounted Future Cash Flow Only Exceeded Carrying Amount By Less Than 20%	1		1
Percentage Undiscounted Cash Flow Exceeds Carrying Amount			20.00%
Impairment of Real Estate	100,000	200,000	1,600,000	[1]	5,400,000
Land Option Write-offs	500,000	500,000	1,900,000		1,800,000
Number of Communities Mothballed During the Period			1
Number of Communities Mothballed	51		51
Inventory, Real Estate, Mothballed Communities	124,900,000		124,900,000
Inventory, Real Estate, Mothballed Communities, Accumulated Impairment Charges	442,900,000		442,900,000
Inventory Real Estate Specific Permance Options	800,000		800,000
One Community [Member]
Note 5 (Details) [Line Items]
Carrying Value Of Communities Tested For Impairment For Which Undiscounted Future Cash Flow Only Exceeded Carrying Amount By Less Than 20%	2,700,000		2,700,000
Mid-Atlantic [Member]
Note 5 (Details) [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate			2,000
Southeast [Member]
Note 5 (Details) [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate			17,000
Residential Real Estate [Member]
Note 5 (Details) [Line Items]
	48,300,000		48,300,000
	46,100,000		46,100,000
Land [Member]
Note 5 (Details) [Line Items]
	60,600,000		60,600,000
	$ 47,600,000		$ 47,600,000
Minimum [Member]
Note 5 (Details) [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate			18.00%		16.80%
Maximum [Member]
Note 5 (Details) [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate			18.80%		18.50%

[1] During the nine months ended July 31, 2013, the Mid-Atlantic had an impairment totaling $2 thousand and the Southeast had an impairment totaling $17 thousand.