Accrued Expenses (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Accrued expenses

Accrued expenses at July 31, 2012 and October 31, 2011 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	July 31, 2012		October 31, 2011
Land, land development and construction	$	109,612	$	109,574
Compensation and employee benefit	94,600		96,037
Insurance and litigation	114,542		130,714
Commitments to unconsolidated entities	2,101		60,205
Warranty	42,260		42,474
Interest	39,256		25,968
Other	62,351		56,079
	$	464,722	$	521,051

Changes in the warranty accrual

The table below provides, for the periods indicated, a reconciliation of the changes in the Company’s warranty accrual (amounts in thousands):

	Nine Months Ended July 31,						Three Months Ended July 31,
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Balance, beginning of period	$	42,474		$	45,835		$	42,997		$	46,321
Additions – homes closed during the period	6,994			6,147			3,050			2,248
Addition – liabilities acquired	731
Increase (decrease) in accruals for homes closed in prior periods	1,236			18			(529		)	(629		)
Charges incurred	(9,175		)	(7,810		)	(3,258		)	(3,750		)
Balance, end of period	$	42,260		$	44,190		$	42,260		$	44,190