Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014	Nov. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset Impairment Charges	$ 3,173	$ 3,408	$ 3,173	$ 3,408	$ 37,600
Inventory, Homes under Construction	1,187,576		1,187,576		928,272
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	1,686,674		1,686,674		1,710,149
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	527,487		527,487		579,966
Inventory, Operative Builders	3,401,737		3,401,737		3,218,387
Revenues:
Total revenues	843,157	589,214	2,046,247	1,604,908
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)	33,954	28,661	57,126	66,348
Assets:
Total assets	4,948,496		4,948,496		4,757,550
Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	840,204	586,231	2,038,896	1,596,894
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)	31,253	26,814	49,554	61,186
Assets:
Total assets	4,936,461		4,936,461		4,747,064
Financial services [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	2,953	2,983	7,351	8,014
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)	2,701	1,847	7,572	5,162
Assets:
Total assets	12,035		12,035		10,486
West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset Impairment Charges	0	0	0	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction	649,874		649,874		536,843
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	719,557		719,557		765,577
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	287,365		287,365		294,060
West Coast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	378,362	265,491	932,905	707,532
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)	35,769	39,270	76,177	93,599
Assets:
Total assets	1,775,422		1,775,422		1,695,753
Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset Impairment Charges	0	0	0	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction	117,705		117,705		65,647
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	322,676		322,676		334,691
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	113,661		113,661		138,367
Southwest [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	128,021	50,101	273,339	144,597
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)	11,732	2,543	20,420	7,599
Assets:
Total assets	598,260		598,260		579,201
Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset Impairment Charges	0	0	0	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction	280,330		280,330		201,164
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	396,115		396,115		363,933
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	22,063		22,063		22,957
Central [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	210,417	179,972	545,913	477,518
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)	18,649	11,514	42,000	24,806
Assets:
Total assets	810,123		810,123		678,139
Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset Impairment Charges	3,173	3,408	3,173	3,408
Inventory, Homes under Construction	139,667		139,667		124,618
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	248,326		248,326		245,948
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	104,398		104,398		124,582
Southeast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	123,404	90,667	286,739	267,247
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)	(4,751)	(7,965)	(20,965)	(9,881)
Assets:
Total assets	528,270		528,270		531,011
Corporate and Other [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)	(30,146)	(18,548)	(68,078)	(54,937)
Assets:
Total assets	1,224,386		1,224,386		$ 1,262,960
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination	359	1,013	1,343	1,803
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination	134	451	134	554
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination	0	0	0	0
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination	225	562	225	995
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination	$ 0	$ 0	$ 984	$ 254