Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		May 31, 2018	May 31, 2017	May 31, 2018	May 31, 2017	Nov. 30, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		$ 5,993	$ 4,302	$ 10,692	$ 7,519
Inventory, Homes under Construction		1,397,790		1,397,790		$ 1,236,848
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		1,761,317		1,761,317		1,651,339
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	[1]	304,895		304,895		375,199
Inventory, Operative Builders		3,464,002		3,464,002		3,263,386
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		1,098,673	1,000,072	1,967,878	1,816,318
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		78,308	51,982	124,353	73,441
Assets:
Total assets		5,094,736		5,094,736		5,041,515
Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		75,154	49,165	119,315	69,064
Assets:
Total assets		5,085,428		5,085,428		5,029,158
Financial services [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		3,154	2,817	5,038	4,377
Assets:
Total assets		9,308		9,308		12,357
West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		5,993	3,144	10,692	3,144
Inventory, Homes under Construction		749,329		749,329		638,639
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		828,911		828,911		723,761
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		166,910		166,910		233,188
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		496,740	460,600	883,392	816,432
West Coast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		51,883	36,496	83,476	59,349
Assets:
Total assets		1,926,823		1,926,823		1,747,786
Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	0	0	1,343
Inventory, Homes under Construction		191,888		191,888		179,240
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		289,784		289,784		309,672
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		62,101		62,101		62,475
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		180,917	126,189	332,816	243,825
Southwest [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		20,577	9,949	35,554	18,621
Assets:
Total assets		588,196		588,196		586,666
Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	0	0	0
Inventory, Homes under Construction		337,259		337,259		320,205
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		446,232		446,232		435,373
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		12,229		12,229		12,654
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		313,806	292,746	557,987	535,002
Central [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		29,075	26,985	48,170	46,663
Assets:
Total assets		925,966		925,966		901,516
Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of Real Estate		0	1,158	0	3,032
Inventory, Homes under Construction		119,314		119,314		98,764
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs		196,390		196,390		182,533
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale		63,655		63,655		66,882
Revenues:
Home Building Revenue		107,210	120,537	193,683	221,059
Southeast [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		787	479	2,107	(1,734)
Assets:
Total assets		406,066		406,066		359,307
Corporate and Other [Member] | Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Total pretax income (loss)		(27,168)	(24,744)	(49,992)	(53,835)
Assets:
Total assets		1,238,377		1,238,377		$ 1,433,883
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		533	1,699	819	2,490
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		388	1,044	596	1,835
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		145	518	223	518
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss on Contract Termination		$ 0	$ 137	$ 0	$ 137

[1] Land held for sale totaled $22.6 million at May 31, 2018 and $21.8 million at November 30, 2017.