Note 22 (Detail) - Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2011
Assets	$ 1,624,843	$ 1,602,180
Liabilities	2,029,044	2,098,782
Notes payable	1,464,887	1,624,101
Income taxes payable	6,692	41,829
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(404,463)	(496,694)
Non-controlling interest in consolidated joint ventures	262	92
Total liabilities and equity	1,624,843	1,602,180
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member] \| Parent Company [Member]
Assets	10,793	12,756
Liabilities	4,329	2,172
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member] \| Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Assets	183,869	200,281
Liabilities	(361)	(33)
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	1,025,979	1,091,511
Liabilities	379,412	354,528
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	286,574	212,526
Liabilities	74,181	11,939
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Homebuilding [Member]
Assets	1,507,215	1,517,074
Liabilities	457,561	368,606
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Financial Services [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	9,496	4,537
Liabilities	9,341	4,231
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Financial Services [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	108,132	80,569
Liabilities	90,563	60,015
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Financial Services [Member]
Assets	117,628	85,106
Liabilities	99,904	64,246
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Parent Company [Member]
Assets	(371,004)	(467,562)
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Assets	2,027,698	2,140,349
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	(2,425,600)	(2,430,491)
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	15,117	(14,221)
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets	753,789	771,925
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Parent Company [Member]
Assets	(360,211)	(454,806)
Income taxes payable	39,923	39,716
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(404,463)	(496,694)
Total liabilities and equity	(360,211)	(454,806)
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Assets	2,211,567	2,340,630
Notes payable	1,464,809	1,623,957
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	747,119	716,706
Total liabilities and equity	2,211,567	2,340,630
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	(1,390,125)	(1,334,443)
Notes payable	78	144
Income taxes payable	(33,231)	2,113
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(1,745,725)	(1,695,459)
Total liabilities and equity	(1,390,125)	(1,334,443)
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	409,823	278,874
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	244,817	206,828
Non-controlling interest in consolidated joint ventures	262	92
Total liabilities and equity	409,823	278,874
Scenario, Actual [Member] \| Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets	753,789	771,925
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	753,789	771,925
Total liabilities and equity	753,789	771,925
Scenario, Actual [Member]
Assets	1,624,843	1,602,180
Notes payable	1,464,887	1,624,101
Income taxes payable	6,692	41,829
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(404,463)	(496,694)
Non-controlling interest in consolidated joint ventures	262	92
Total liabilities and equity	1,624,843	1,602,180
Homebuilding [Member] \| Parent Company [Member]
Assets	10,793	12,756
Liabilities	4,329	2,172
Homebuilding [Member] \| Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Assets	183,869	200,281
Liabilities	(361)	(33)
Homebuilding [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	1,076,088	1,096,594
Liabilities	416,675	355,191
Homebuilding [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	236,465	207,443
Liabilities	36,918	11,276
Homebuilding [Member]
Assets	1,507,215	1,517,074
Liabilities	457,561	368,606
Financial Services [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	9,496	4,537
Liabilities	9,341	4,231
Financial Services [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	108,132	80,569
Liabilities	90,563	60,015
Financial Services [Member]
Assets	117,628	85,106
Liabilities	99,904	64,246
Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Parent Company [Member]
Assets	(371,004)	(467,562)
Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Assets	2,027,698	2,140,349
Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	(2,420,053)	(2,435,348)
Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	9,570	(9,364)
Due to and from Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member] \| Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets	753,789	771,925
Parent Company [Member]
Assets	(360,211)	(454,806)
Income taxes payable	39,923	39,716
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(404,463)	(496,694)
Total liabilities and equity	(360,211)	(454,806)
Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Assets	2,211,567	2,340,630
Notes payable	1,464,809	1,623,957
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	747,119	716,706
Total liabilities and equity	2,211,567	2,340,630
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	(1,334,469)	(1,334,217)
Notes payable	78	144
Income taxes payable	(33,231)	2,113
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(1,727,332)	(1,695,896)
Total liabilities and equity	(1,334,469)	(1,334,217)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets	354,167	278,648
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	226,424	207,265
Non-controlling interest in consolidated joint ventures	262	92
Total liabilities and equity	354,167	278,648
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets	753,789	771,925
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity	753,789	771,925
Total liabilities and equity	$ 753,789	$ 771,925

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the unpaid sum of the known and estimated amounts payable to satisfy all domestic and foreign income tax obligations due. This amount is the total of current and noncurrent accrued income taxes.

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.15)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.15(b))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name FASB Interpretation (FIN)

-Number 48

-Paragraph 15, 21

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 109

-Section Appendix E

-Paragraph 289

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph b(1)

-Article 7

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 15

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph 1

-Article 9

+ Details

- Definition

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.

+ References+ Details

- Definition

Total of all stockholders' equity (deficit) items, net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity which is directly or indirectly attributable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent (that is, noncontrolling interest, previously referred to as minority interest).

+ References+ Details

- Definition

Total of all stockholders' equity (deficit) items, net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity which are attributable to the parent. The amount of the economic entity's stockholders' equity attributable to the parent excludes the amount of stockholders' equity which is allocable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent (noncontrolling interest, minority interest). This excludes temporary equity and is sometimes called permanent equity.

+ References+ Details