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	6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2015	Apr. 30, 2014
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	$ (33,935)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	$ (32,425)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Adjustments to reconcile net	(222,194)	(153,681)
Net cash	(256,129)	(186,106)
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	983	232
Purchase of property, equipment & other fixed assets and acquisitions	(1,172)	(1,048)
Decrease in restricted cash related to mortgage company	1,645	(376)
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	(15,539)	(32)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	7,345	6,952
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(6,738)	5,728
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	14,711hov_NetProceedsFromMortgagesAndNotes
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	13,341
Net payments related to land bank financing programs	(13,003)
Net proceeds related to mortgage warehouse lines of credit	6,047	(56,355)
Deferred financing costs from land bank financing programs and note issuances	(6,493)	(5,346)
Principal payments and debt repurchases	(2,062)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt	(4,005)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	262,541	96,406
Net	(326)	(83,972)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period	261,898	329,204
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period	261,572	245,232
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Unsecured Senior Notes Excluding Senior Amortizing Notes And Senior Exchangeable Notes [Member] \| Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from senior notes	250,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	(33,935)	(32,425)
Adjustments to reconcile net	(7,989)	(1,140)
Net cash	(41,924)	(33,565)
Intercompany	41,924	33,565
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	41,924
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	(42,194)	(42,719)
Adjustments to reconcile net	18,740	9,969
Net cash	(23,454)	(32,750)
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	81
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	(33)
Intercompany investing activities	(165,853)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(165,805)	76
Deferred financing costs from land bank financing programs and note issuances	(4,627)
Principal payments and debt repurchases	(2,062)
Intercompany		(173,351)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	243,311	120,553
Net	54,052	(85,472)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period	159,508	243,470
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period	213,560	157,998
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	(29,416)	(18,102)
Adjustments to reconcile net	(101,623)	(172,179)
Net cash	(131,039)	(190,281)
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	952
Purchase of property, equipment & other fixed assets and acquisitions	(1,172)
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	146
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	339
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	265	664
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	6,336
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	11,746
Net payments related to land bank financing programs	(9,124)
Deferred financing costs from land bank financing programs and note issuances	(1,016)
Intercompany	124,498	151,533
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	132,440	39,646
Net	1,666	1,562
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period	(4,726)	(6,479)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period	(3,060)	(4,917)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	27,203	26,082
Adjustments to reconcile net	(86,915)	44,408
Net cash	(59,712)	70,490
Proceeds from sale of property and assets	31
Decrease in restricted cash related to mortgage company	1,645
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures	(15,766)
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated joint ventures	7,039
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(7,051)	4,988
Net proceeds from mortgages and notes	8,375
Net proceeds from model sale leaseback financing programs	1,595
Net payments related to land bank financing programs	(3,879)
Net proceeds related to mortgage warehouse lines of credit	6,047
Deferred financing costs from land bank financing programs and note issuances	(850)
Intercompany	(569)	(11,747)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	10,719	(63,793)
Net	(56,044)	(62)
Cash and cash equivalents balance, beginning of period	107,116	92,213
Cash and cash equivalents balance, end of period	51,072	92,151
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net	44,407	34,739
Adjustments to reconcile net	(44,407)	(34,739)
Intercompany investing activities	165,853
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	165,853
Intercompany	(165,853)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(165,853)
Unsecured Senior Notes Excluding Senior Amortizing Notes And Senior Exchangeable Notes [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from senior notes	$ 250,000	$ 150,000

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