Note 21 - Financial Information of Subsidiary Issuer and Subsidiary Guarantors (Details) - Consolidating Condensed Financial Statements - Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2014
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	$ (14,376)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	$ (24,523)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Adjustments to reconcile net	(181,241)	(106,529)
Net cash	(195,617)	(131,052)
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	168	5
Purchase of property, equipment & other fixed assets and acquisitions	(879)	(95)
Decrease in restricted cash related to mortgage company	387	(343)
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	(11,735)	(116)
Distribution of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	627	553
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(11,432)	4
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	(3,319)hov_NetProceedsFromMortgagesAndNotes
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	(5,802)	6,043
Net proceeds from land bank financing programs	(7,203)
Net proceeds from senior notes	247,938
Net proceeds related to mortgage warehouse lines of credit	(8,153)	(57,846)
Deferred financing cost from land bank financing program and note issuances	(5,011)	(3,291)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	218,450	90,729
Net	11,401	(40,319)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period	261,898	329,204
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period	273,299	288,885
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	(14,376)	(24,523)
Adjustments to reconcile net	(7,520)	(3,110)
Net cash	(21,896)	(27,633)
Intercompany	21,896	27,633
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	21,896
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	(22,122)	(21,937)
Adjustments to reconcile net	3,248	1,280
Net cash	(18,874)	(20,657)
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	81
Intercompany investing activities	(159,012)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(158,931)	215
Net proceeds from senior notes	247,938
Deferred financing cost from land bank financing program and note issuances	(4,627)
Intercompany		(150,337)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	243,311	144,328
Net	65,506	(26,451)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period	159,508	243,470
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period	225,014	217,019
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	(13,567)	(16,366)
Adjustments to reconcile net	(39,948)	(114,750)
Net cash	(53,515)	(131,116)
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	156
Purchase of property, equipment & other fixed assets and acquisitions	(879)
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	146
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(577)	(363)
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	(10,277)
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	(5,606)
Net proceeds from land bank financing programs	(6,332)
Deferred financing cost from land bank financing program and note issuances	(114)
Intercompany	76,732	119,706
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	54,403	10,772
Net	311	(1,001)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period	(4,726)	(6,479)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period	(4,415)	(7,480)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	13,871	15,368
Adjustments to reconcile net	(115,203)	32,986
Net cash	(101,332)	48,354
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	12
Decrease in restricted cash related to mortgage company	387
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	(11,962)
Distribution of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	627
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(10,936)	152
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	6,958
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	(196)
Net proceeds from land bank financing programs	(871)
Net proceeds related to mortgage warehouse lines of credit	(8,153)
Deferred financing cost from land bank financing program and note issuances	(270)
Intercompany	60,384	2,998
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	57,852	(64,371)
Net	(54,416)	(12,867)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period	107,116	92,213
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period	52,700	79,346
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	21,818	22,935
Adjustments to reconcile net	(21,818)	(22,935)
Intercompany investing activities	159,012
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	159,012
Intercompany	(159,012)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	$ (159,012)

Note 21 - Financial Information of Subsidiary Issuer and Subsidiary Guarantors (Details) - Consolidating Condensed Financial Statements - Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified