Note 21 - Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Loans Held for Sale Mortgages Unpaid Principal	$ 127.6	$ 128.4
Other Commitment, Total	26.5
Impairment of Real Estate	2.1	$ 15.1	$ 24.5
Loan Origination Commitments [Member]
Loan Applications in Process	$ 429.0
Loan Origination Commitments [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Number of Days in Committment	60 days
Interest Rate Committed Loan Applications [Member]
Interest Rate Committed Loan Applications	$ 41.5

Value of loan applications in process with committed interest rates at the end of the period.

No definition available.

Name:	hov_InterestRateCommittedLoanApplications
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Value of loan applications in process at the end of the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hov_LoanApplicationsInProcess
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage loans held for sale unpaid principal.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hov_LoansHeldForSaleMortgagesUnpaidPrincipal
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of days for which loans are committed.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hov_NumberOfDaysInCommittment
Namespace Prefix:	hov_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109226691&loc=d3e2921-110230

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Minimum amount of other commitment not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Excludes commitments explicitly modeled in the taxonomy, including but not limited to, long-term and short-term purchase commitments, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, supply commitments, registration payment arrangements, leases, debt, product warranties, guarantees, environmental remediation obligations, and pensions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_LoanOriginationCommitmentsMember
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_FinancialInstrumentAxis=hov_InterestRateCommittedLoanApplicationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: