Note 4 - Reduction of Inventory to Fair Value (Details Textual) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Number of Communities Evaluated for Impairment			405	380
Number of Communities Performed Detailed Impairment Calculations			5	10
Carrying Value of Communities Tested for Impairment			$ 11,200	$ 82,700
Impairment of Real Estate	$ 0	$ 3,200	2,100	7,400
Homebuilding [Member]
Impairment of Real Estate	0	$ 3,200	$ 2,100	$ 7,400
Number of Communities Impaired		1	5	7
PreImpairment Value		$ 15,900	$ 11,200	$ 37,000
Number of Communities Tested for Impairment for Which Undiscounted Future Cash Flow Only Exceeded Carrying Amount By Less Than 20 Percent			0	3
Carrying Value of Communities Tested for Impairment for Which Undiscounted Future Cash Flow Only Exceeded Carrying Amount by Less than 20 Percent				$ 45,800
Percentage Undiscounted Cash Flow Exceeds Carrying Amount				20.00%
Land Option Write Offs	$ 100	$ 1,000	$ 1,100	$ 1,900
Number of Walk Away Lots	76	1,200	1,417	2,739
Number of Communities Mothballed During the Period			0
Number of Previously Mothballed Communities Sold During the Period			2
Number of Mothballed Communities Reactivated			1
Number of Communities Mothballed	19		19		22
Inventory Real Estate Mothballed Communities	$ 24,500		$ 24,500		$ 36,700
Inventory Real Estate Mothballed Communities Accumulated Impairment Charges	186,100		186,100		214,100
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	72,416		72,416		91,101
Homebuilding [Member] | Model Sale Leaseback Financing Arrangements [Member]
Inventory Real Estate, Other Options	53,300		53,300		58,500
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	46,500		46,500		51,800
Homebuilding [Member] | Land Banking Arrangement [Member]
Inventory Real Estate, Other Options	43,700		43,700		66,300
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	$ 25,900		$ 25,900		$ 39,300
Homebuilding [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Measurement Input, Discount Rate [Member]
Inventory, Measurement Input			0.168	0.183
Homebuilding [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Measurement Input, Discount Rate [Member]
Inventory, Measurement Input			0.198	0.198