Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.18)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 12

-Article 7

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 18

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Assets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2014	Aug. 31, 2014	May 31, 2014	Feb. 28, 2014	Nov. 30, 2013	Aug. 31, 2013	May 31, 2013	Feb. 28, 2013	Nov. 30, 2014 segment	Nov. 30, 2013	Nov. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory, Homes under Construction	$ 928,272us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction				$ 586,439us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction				$ 928,272us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction	$ 586,439us-gaap_InventoryHomesUnderConstruction
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	1,710,149				1,066,916				1,710,149	1,066,916
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	579,966				645,222				579,966	645,222
Inventory, Operative Builders	3,218,387us-gaap_InventoryOperativeBuilders				2,298,577us-gaap_InventoryOperativeBuilders				3,218,387us-gaap_InventoryOperativeBuilders	2,298,577us-gaap_InventoryOperativeBuilders
Number of Reportable Segments									5us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Revenues:
Revenues	796,041us-gaap_Revenues	589,214us-gaap_Revenues	565,007us-gaap_Revenues	450,687us-gaap_Revenues	618,531us-gaap_Revenues	548,974us-gaap_Revenues	524,406us-gaap_Revenues	405,219us-gaap_Revenues	2,400,949us-gaap_Revenues	2,097,130us-gaap_Revenues	1,560,115us-gaap_Revenues
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)	28,601	28,661	26,924	10,763	28,316	26,578	(4,173)	(12,358)	94,949	38,363	(79,053)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures									1,427	(933)	1,797
Impairment of Real Estate	34,200us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate	3,400us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate			400us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate				37,628us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate	391us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate	28,107us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate
Assets:
Total assets	4,757,550us-gaap_Assets				3,193,635us-gaap_Assets				4,757,550us-gaap_Assets	3,193,635us-gaap_Assets
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures:
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	79,441				130,192				79,441	130,192
Homebuilding [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments									4
Revenues:
Revenues									2,389,643	2,084,978	1,548,432
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)									86,403	28,179	(89,936)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures									741	(2,007)	(394)
Assets:
Total assets	4,747,064				3,183,595				4,747,064	3,183,595
Financial services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments									1
Revenues:
Revenues									11,306	12,152	11,683
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)									8,546	10,184	10,883
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures									686	1,074	2,191
Assets:
Total assets	10,486				10,040				10,486	10,040
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures:
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	6,149				5,490				6,149	5,490
Home Community Mortgage LLC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Ownership interest in joint venture	49.90%								49.90%
Corporate and Other [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member]
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)									(71,993)	(69,271)	(69,541)
Assets:
Total assets	1,262,960				627,879				1,262,960	627,879
Central [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory, Homes under Construction	201,164				157,572				201,164	157,572
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	363,933				238,311				363,933	238,311
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	22,957				15,193				22,957	15,193
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Impairment of Real Estate									0	0	1,267
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures:
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	0				0				0	0
Central [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues									698,429	565,120	436,407
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)									47,214	22,275	1,449
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures									0	0	0
Assets:
Total assets	678,139				465,547				678,139	465,547
West Coast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory, Homes under Construction	536,843				275,516				536,843	275,516
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	765,577				560,032				765,577	560,032
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	294,060				308,636				294,060	308,636
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Impairment of Real Estate									27,285	0	19,235
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures:
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	59,552				40,246				59,552	40,246
West Coast [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues									1,089,857	1,020,218	755,259
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)									116,325	118,264	(10,467)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures									(374)	(148)	(174)
Assets:
Total assets	1,695,753				1,230,761				1,695,753	1,230,761
Southeast [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory, Homes under Construction	124,618				113,690				124,618	113,690
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	245,948				161,919				245,948	161,919
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	124,582				163,469				124,582	163,469
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Impairment of Real Estate									3,951	391	5,470
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures:
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	2,501				9,069				2,501	9,069
Southeast [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues									401,853	324,388	224,328
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)									(11,158)	(45,992)	(1,183)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures									3,291	496	591
Assets:
Total assets	531,011				456,965				531,011	456,965
Southwest [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory, Homes under Construction	65,647				39,661				65,647	39,661
Inventory, Real Estate, Land and Land Development Costs	334,691				106,654				334,691	106,654
Inventory, Land Held for Development and Sale	138,367				157,924				138,367	157,924
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Impairment of Real Estate									6,392	0	2,135
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures:
Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures	17,388				80,877				17,388	80,877
Southwest [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues									199,504	175,252	132,438
Pretax income (loss):
Pretax income (loss)									6,015	2,903	(10,194)
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures									(2,176)	(2,355)	(811)
Assets:
Total assets	579,201				402,443				579,201	402,443
Nationstar Mortgage LLC [Member] \| Home Community Mortgage LLC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Ownership interest in joint venture	50.10%								50.10%
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member]
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Loss on Contract Termination		1,000	400	400	2,900		300		1,803	3,190	426
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] \| Central [Member]
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Loss on Contract Termination									995	0	133
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] \| West Coast [Member]
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Loss on Contract Termination									554	3,190	0
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] \| Southeast [Member]
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Loss on Contract Termination									254	0	293
Land Option Contract Abandonment [Member] \| Southwest [Member]
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated joint ventures:
Loss on Contract Termination									$ 0	$ 0	$ 0