Selected quarterly financial data (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2014	Jan. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2013	Apr. 30, 2013	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012
Selected quarterly financial data (unaudited) [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 10,793	$ 10,433	$ 10,632	$ 10,572	$ 10,659	$ 10,384	$ 9,907	$ 10,387	$ 42,430	$ 41,337
Expenses	10,095	9,716	9,742	9,454	9,578	9,339	9,403	9,417	39,007	37,737
Income from continuing operations	698	717	890	1,118	1,081	1,045	504	970	3,423	3,600		4,008
Income from discontinued operations			41	8,700	2,155	48	1,409	730	8,741	4,342
Net income	698	717	931	9,818	3,236	1,093	1,913	1,700	12,164	7,942		11,996
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries	(54)	(162)	(98)	(193)	(39)	(182)	(43)	(229)	(507)	(493)		(645)
Net income attributable to common equity	644	555	833	9,625	3,197	911	1,870	1,471	11,657	7,449		11,351
Basic & diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations	$ 0.10	$ 0.08	$ 0.11	$ 0.13	$ 0.15	$ 0.12	$ 0.07	$ 0.11	$ 0.42	$ 0.45		$ 0.49
Discontinued operations			$ 0.01	$ 1.26	$ 0.31	$ 0.01	$ 0.20	$ 0.10	$ 1.27	$ 0.62		$ 1.15
Net income attributable to common equity	$ 0.10	$ 0.08	$ 0.12	$ 1.39	$ 0.46	$ 0.13	$ 0.27	$ 0.21	$ 1.69	$ 1.07		$ 1.64
Dividends per share	$ 0.30	$ 0.30	$ 0.30	$ 0.30	$ 0.66	$ 0.30	$ 0.30	$ 0.30	$ 1.20	$ 1.56		$ 1.10
Income tax adjustment on gain on sale of discontinued operation								(720)		(720)	[1]
Per share effect of adjustment								$ 0.10
Gain on sale of discontinued operations (net of tax of $1,965 in fiscal 2012)				8,734	2,168		1,377		8,734	3,545		7,528
Gain on sale of discontinued operations, per share effect					$ 0.31		$ 0.20
Expenses related to Regency acquisition		648							648
Expenses related to Regency acquisition, per share		$ 0.09
Deferred rents - straight lining	298								93	12		(17)
Straight line rent expense per share	$ 0.04
G-Mart lease termination expenses	$ (73)								$ (371)
G-Mart lease termination expenses, per share	$ (0.01)

[1] Income tax adjustment relating to fiscal 2012 gain on sale of discontinued operation.