Other Income - Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Other Nonoperating Income By Component [Line Items]
Interest income	$ 8,570	$ 5,988	$ 2,443
Income from Ancillary Businesses	25,692	18,934	24,119
Management fee income from unconsolidated entities	11,740	12,902	10,270
Retained customer deposits	8,937	5,801	5,866
Land sales, net	6,331	8,621	13,327
Other	1,190	(1,184)	(71)
Total other income - net	62,460	51,062	55,954
Revenues and expenses of non-core ancillary businesses
Revenue	158,051	134,116	126,741
Expense	132,359	115,182	102,622
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue	134,327	284,928	85,268
Expense	(124,162)	(278,034)	(70,488)
Land sales, net	6,331	8,621	13,327
Rental Property Joint Venture Princeton Junction [Member]
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Deferred gain on land sale to joint venture	(3,834)
Home Building Joint Venture Metro New York Three [Member]
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue				$ 78,500
Deferred gain on land sale to joint venture			(2,999)	$ (9,300)
Deferred Revenue, Revenue Recognized		4,723	1,546
Rental Property Joint Ventures Metro Washington, D.C. [Member]
Revenues and expenses from land sales [Abstract]
Revenue			$ 38,100
Deferred gain on land sale to joint venture		$ (2,996)