Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2021	Aug. 31, 2020	Aug. 31, 2021	Aug. 31, 2020	Nov. 30, 2020
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments			$ 11,222	$ 16,939
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 1,467,102	$ 999,013	4,049,732	2,988,918
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)	174,197	101,315	471,412	237,952
Inventories: Homes under Construction	2,022,354		2,022,354		$ 1,437,911
Inventories: Land under development	2,633,521		2,633,521		2,459,571
Inventories: Land held for future development or sale	64,500		64,500		74,000
Inventories	4,655,875		4,655,875		3,897,482
Assets
Total assets	5,756,347		5,756,347		5,356,442
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Land option contract abandonment charges	400	400	1,300	5,400
Home Building [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments	6,701	6,888	11,222	16,939
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,461,896	995,148	4,035,939	2,977,810
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)	164,816	91,651	442,883	214,871
Inventories	4,655,875		4,655,875		3,897,482
Assets
Total assets	5,718,929		5,718,929		5,320,240
Home Building [Member] | West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments	6,458	5,546	10,376	10,610
Revenues:
Total revenues	663,563	379,025	1,803,769	1,195,404
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)	93,247	34,353	228,508	96,202
Assets
Total assets	2,439,635		2,439,635		2,057,362
Home Building [Member] | Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments	243	0	536	171
Revenues:
Total revenues	234,933	223,096	680,679	589,665
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)	46,021	39,295	127,985	96,298
Assets
Total assets	954,983		954,983		738,765
Home Building [Member] | Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments	0	1,084	70	5,520
Revenues:
Total revenues	384,532	297,022	1,084,795	864,728
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)	53,375	35,422	150,650	84,996
Assets
Total assets	1,125,069		1,125,069		998,612
Home Building [Member] | Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory impairments and land option contract abandonments	0	258	240	638
Revenues:
Total revenues	178,868	96,005	466,696	328,013
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)	19,979	5,986	50,955	15,245
Assets
Total assets	610,634		610,634		448,388
Home Building [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)	(47,806)	$ (23,405)	(115,215)	$ (77,870)
Assets
Total assets	$ 588,608		$ 588,608		$ 1,077,113