Accrued Expenses (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2015

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Accrued expenses

Accrued expenses at April 30, 2015 and October 31, 2014 consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

	April 30, 2015		October 31, 2014
Land, land development and construction	$	107,041	$	124,816
Compensation and employee benefits	125,306		118,607
Self-insurance	108,575		100,407
Warranty	83,057		86,282
Interest	33,436		33,993
Commitments to unconsolidated entities	4,919		3,293
Other	124,077		114,079
	$	586,411	$	581,477

Changes in the warranty accrual

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

	Six months ended April 30,						Three months ended April 30,
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Balance, beginning of period	$	86,282		$	43,819		$	84,695		$	42,688
Additions - homes closed during the period	8,253			7,302			4,335			4,205
Addition - Shapell liabilities acquired				9,244						9,244
Increase in accruals for homes closed in prior years	1,309			1,421			441			1,077
Charges incurred	(12,787		)	(9,207		)	(6,414		)	(4,635		)
Balance, end of period	$	83,057		$	52,579		$	83,057		$	52,579