Note 4 - Reduction of Inventory to Fair Value (Details Textual) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Number of Communities Evaluated for Impairment	387	390
Number of Communities Performed Detailed Impairment Calculations		6
Carrying Value of Communities Tested for Impairment		$ 13,800
Number of Communities Tested for Impairment for Which Undiscounted Future Cash Flow Only Exceeded Carrying Amount By Less Than 20 Percent		1
Carrying Value of Communities Tested for Impairment for Which Undiscounted Future Cash Flow Only Exceeded Carrying Amount by Less than 20 Percent		$ 1,200
Percentage Undiscounted Cash Flow Exceeds Carrying Amount		20.00%
Impairment of Real Estate	$ 0	$ 2,700
Homebuilding [Member]
Impairment of Real Estate		$ 2,700
Number of Communities Impaired		5
PreImpairment Value		$ 12,600
Land Option Write Offs	$ 400	$ 500
Number of Walk Away Lots	627	1,061
Number of Previously Mothballed Communities Sold During the Period	0
Number of Communities Mothballed During the Period	0
Number of Mothballed Communities Reactivated	1
Number of Communities Mothballed	21		22
Inventory Real Estate Mothballed Communities	$ 35,600		$ 36,700
Inventory Real Estate Mothballed Communities Accumulated Impairment Charges	206,500		214,100
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	68,040		91,101
Homebuilding [Member] \| Model Sale Leaseback Financing Arrangements [Member]
Inventory Real Estate, Other Options	39,400		58,500
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	35,800		51,800
Homebuilding [Member] \| Land Banking Arrangement [Member]
Inventory Real Estate, Other Options	54,500		66,300
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	$ 32,200		$ 39,300
Homebuilding [Member] \| Real Estate Inventory [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	0.00%
Homebuilding [Member] \| Real Estate Inventory [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate		18.30%
Homebuilding [Member] \| Real Estate Inventory [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate		19.80%

The aggregate carrying value of communities for which detailed impairment calculatons were performed.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	hov_
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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate carrying value of communities tested for impairment which had undiscounted future cash flow that only exceeded the carrying amount by less than 20%.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hov_
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- Definition

The net book value of mothballed communities at the end of the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The amount of impairment charges recorded to date on our mothballed communities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Inventory not owned required to be recorded as a financing in accordance with current accounting standards.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The charge against earnings in the period to write off costs associated with land options that were terminated.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Includes the liabilities for the inventory for which we do not have title related to the remaining exercise price of land and lot option purchases contracts; variable interest entities when we are the primary beneficiary; and model sale leaseback financing arrangements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of communities evaluated for impairment during the period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the number of communities with impairment losses.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The number of mothballed communities at the end of the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of communities mothballed during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of communities for which detailed impairment calculations were performed during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the number of communities tested for impairment which had undiscounted future cash flow that only exceeded the carrying amount by less than 20%.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of mothballed communities reactivated during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the number of previously mothballed communities sold during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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- Definition

The number of lots under option that the Company walked-away from during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Percentage by which undiscounted future cash flow for communities tested for impairment exceeds carrying value under which such carrying amounts are disclosed.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Book value of inventory prior to current period impairment charge.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

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- Definition

The charge against earnings in the period to reduce the carrying amount of real property to fair value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84176398&loc=d3e2921-110230

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585

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