Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)	Aug. 31, 2013	Nov. 30, 2012
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Cash Deposits	$ 44,043,000	$ 25,682,000
Aggregate Purchase Price	825,027,000	625,335,000
Pre-acquisition costs related to land option contracts and other similar contracts	27,100,000	25,400,000
Outstanding letters of credit	100,000	500,000
Increase in inventories and accrued expenses and other liabilities	8,900,000	4,100,000
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Cash Deposits	15,359,000	8,463,000
Aggregate Purchase Price	488,635,000	327,196,000
Non-VIE Other land option contracts and other similar contracts [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Cash Deposits	28,684,000	17,219,000
Aggregate Purchase Price	$ 336,392,000	$ 298,139,000