Note 10 - Mortgages (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017
JP Morgan Chase Bank [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 50,000
Warehouse Agreement Borrowings, Total	$ 29,200	$ 41,500
JP Morgan Chase Bank [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument Variable Rate Basis Adjusted London Interbank Offered Rate LIBOR	1.91%
JP Morgan Chase Bank [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.50%
JP Morgan Chase Bank [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.63%
Customers Bank [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 50,000
Warehouse Agreement Borrowings, Total	$ 23,900	40,700
Customers Bank [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.375%
Customers Bank [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	5.125%
Nonrecourse Mortgages Secured By Inventory [Member] \| Mortgages [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member]
Secured Debt, Total	$ 70,644	64,512
Debt Instrument, Collateral Amount	$ 179,100	$ 157,800
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	5.50%	5.30%
Nonrecourse Mortgages Secured by Operating Properties [Member] \| Mortgages [Member] \| Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Secured Debt, Total		$ 13,000
Nonrecourse Mortgages Secured by Operating Properties [Member] \| Mortgages [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member]
Secured Debt, Total		13,012
Comerica Master Repurchase Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	50,000
Warehouse Agreement Borrowings, Total	$ 18,000	$ 32,400
Comerica Master Repurchase Agreement [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.375%
Debt Instrument Variable Rate Basis Floor Rate	0.25%

Debt instrument variable rate basis adjusted london interbank offered rate LIBOR.

No definition available.

Name:	hov_DebtInstrumentVariableRateBasisAdjustedLondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBOR
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt instrument variable rate basis floor rat

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hov_DebtInstrumentVariableRateBasisFloorRate
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of assets pledged to secure a debt instrument.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75038535&loc=d3e64711-112823

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCollateralAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date, including the current and noncurrent portions, of collateralized debt obligations (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle, if longer). Such obligations include mortgage loans, chattel loans, and any other borrowings secured by assets of the borrower.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuredDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the outstanding short-term borrowings under a revolving line of credit used by mortgage bankers to finance the origination or purchase of loans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(13))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_WarehouseAgreementBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAxis=hov_JPMorganChaseBankMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAxis=hov_CustomersBankMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=hov_NonrecourseMortgagesSecuredByInventoryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_MortgagesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hov_HomebuildingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=hov_NonrecourseMortgagesSecuredByOperatingPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=hov_ComericaMasterRepurchaseAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: