Note 19 - Variable Interest Entities	12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2011
Variable Interest Entities Disclosure [Text Block]	19. Variable Interest Entities The Company enters into land and lot option purchase contracts to procure land or lots for the construction of homes. Under these contracts, the Company will fund a stated deposit in consideration for the right, but not the obligation, to purchase land or lots at a future point in time with predetermined terms. Under the terms of the option purchase contracts, many of the option deposits are not refundable at the Company's discretion. Certain option purchase contracts result in the creation of a variable interest in the entity that owns the land parcel under option. In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board revised its guidance regarding the determination of a primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity. The revisions were effective for the Company as of November 1, 2010 and amend the existing quantitative guidance used in determining the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity by requiring entities to qualitatively assess whether an enterprise is a primary beneficiary, based on whether the entity has (i) power to direct the significant activities of the entity and (ii) an obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could be potentially significant to the entity. The revised guidance also increased the required disclosures about a reporting entity's involvement with variable interest entities. The Company has determined it did not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact such entities' economic performance; therefore, all of the variable interest entities that were previously reported as consolidated inventory not owned on the Company's balance sheets were deconsolidated which reduced, as of November 1, 2010, both Consolidated inventory not owned and Liabilities from inventory not owned by $32.7 million. We will continue to secure land and lots using options, some of which are with variable interest entities. Including deposits on our unconsolidated variable interest entities, at October 31, 2011, we had total cash and letters of credit deposits amounting to approximately $21.4 million to purchase land and lots with a total purchase price of $597.9 million. The maximum exposure to loss with respect to our land and lot options is limited to the deposits, although some deposits are refundable at our request or refundable if certain conditions are not met.

Note 19 - Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2011

Variable Interest Entities Disclosure [Text Block]

19. Variable Interest Entities

The Company enters into land and lot option purchase contracts to procure land or lots for the construction of homes. Under these contracts, the Company will fund a stated deposit in consideration for the right, but not the obligation, to purchase land or lots at a future point in time with predetermined terms. Under the terms of the option purchase contracts, many of the option deposits are not refundable at the Company's discretion.

Certain option purchase contracts result in the creation of a variable interest in the entity that owns the land parcel under option. In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board revised its guidance regarding the determination of a primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity. The revisions were effective for the Company as of November 1, 2010 and amend the existing quantitative guidance used in determining the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity by requiring entities to qualitatively assess whether an enterprise is a primary beneficiary, based on whether the entity has (i) power to direct the significant activities of the entity and (ii) an obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could be potentially significant to the entity. The revised guidance also increased the required disclosures about a reporting entity's involvement with variable interest entities. The Company has determined it did not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact such entities' economic performance; therefore, all of the variable interest entities that were previously reported as consolidated inventory not owned on the Company's balance sheets were deconsolidated which reduced, as of November 1, 2010, both Consolidated inventory not owned and Liabilities from inventory not owned by $32.7 million.

We will continue to secure land and lots using options, some of which are with variable interest entities. Including deposits on our unconsolidated variable interest entities, at October 31, 2011, we had total cash and letters of credit deposits amounting to approximately $21.4 million to purchase land and lots with a total purchase price of $597.9 million. The maximum exposure to loss with respect to our land and lot options is limited to the deposits, although some deposits are refundable at our request or refundable if certain conditions are not met.

- Definition

The entire disclosure of the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest (as defined) held by the entity requires the variable interest entity (VIE) (as defined) to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the VIE, individually or in aggregate (as applicable); the nature of restrictions, if any, on the consolidated VIE's assets and on the settlement of its liabilities reported by an entity in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities; the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with involvement in the VIE; how involvement with the VIE affects the entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; the lack of recourse if creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of the consolidated VIE have no recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary (if applicable); the terms of arrangements, giving consideration to both explicit arrangements and implicit variable interests, if any, that could require the entity to provide financial support to the VIE, including events or circumstances that could expose the entity to a loss; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance are shared (as defined); the carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities of the VIE included in the statement of financial position; the entity's maximum exposure to loss, if any, as a result of its involvement with the VIE, including how the maximum exposure is determined and significant sources of the entity's exposure to the VIE; a comparison of the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities and the entity's maximum exposure to loss; information about any liquidity arrangements, guarantees, and (or) other commitments by third parties that may affect the fair value or risk of the entity's variable interest in the VIE; whether or not the entity has provided financial support or other support (explicitly or implicitly) to the VIE that it was not previously contractually required to provide or whether the entity intends to provide that support, including the type and amount of the support and the primary reasons for providing the support; and supplemental information the entity determines necessary to provide.

+ References+ Details