Other Income - Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Interest income		$ 2,443	$ 1,939	$ 2,493
Income from Ancillary Businesses		17,473	23,530	10,653
Management fee income from unconsolidated entities		10,270	11,299	7,306
Retained customer deposits		5,866	5,224	3,067
Land sales, net		13,327	13,150	25,489
Directly expensed interest				(656)
Other		2,193	2,263	3,476
Total other income - net		58,218	67,573	66,192
Revenues and expenses of non-core ancillary businesses
Revenue		123,512	119,732	100,284
Expense		106,039	96,202	89,631
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue		85,268	183,870	242,931
Expense		(70,488)	(161,460)	(217,442)
Retail Land Sales, Installment Method, Gross Profit, Deferred
Land sales, net		13,327	13,150	25,489
Gibraltar [Member]
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Gibraltar		6,646	10,168	$ 14,364
Home Building Joint Venture Metro New York Three [Member]
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue			78,500
Retail Land Sales, Installment Method, Gross Profit, Deferred			$ (9,260)
Deferred Revenue, Revenue Recognized		1,546
Rental Property Joint Ventures Metro Washington, D.C. [Member]
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Land sales, net	$ 3,000
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue		38,100
Retail Land Sales, Installment Method, Gross Profit, Deferred		$ (2,999)
Land sales, net	$ 3,000