Note 3 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) $ in Thousands, shares in Millions	12 Months Ended	24 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2014 USD ($) shares	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	$ 9,400	$ 15,800		$ 9,400
Number of Communities Mothballed	29	31		29
Inventory Real Estate Mothballed Communities	$ 74,400	$ 103,000		$ 74,400
Inventory Real Estate Mothballed Communities Accumulated Impairment Charges	296,300	334,500		296,300
Inventory Real Estate Specific Performance Options		1,200
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned		1,200
Inventory, Land Held-for-sale	48,700	1,300		48,700
General Liability Insurance Deductible	20,000	20,000		20,000
Bodily Injury Insurance Deductible	250	250		250
Bodily Injury Insurance Limit	5,000	5,000		5,000
Aggregate Retention for Construction Defects Warranty and Bodily Injury Claims	21,000	21,000		21,000
Advertising Expense	21,400	21,000	$ 21,500
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable	7,600	7,600		$ 7,600
Provision for Doubtful Accounts	1,000	700
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable, Recoveries	800	900
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable, Write-offs	$ 200
Prepaid Stock Purchase Contracts Shares Included in Basic Earnings Per Share \| shares	6.1		6.1
Tangible Equity Units [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	7.25%			7.25%
Exchangeable Note Units [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.00%			6.00%
Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Maximum [Member]
Joint Venture Voting Interest Percentage	50.00%			50.00%
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	40 years
Homebuilding [Member]
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	$ 153,151	105,856		$ 153,151
Homebuilding [Member] \| Real Estate Inventory [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate				16.80%
Homebuilding [Member] \| Real Estate Inventory [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate				19.80%
Homebuilding [Member] \| Model Sale Leaseback Financing Arrangements [Member]
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	70,800	87,900		$ 70,800
Inventory Real Estate, Other Options	79,200	95,900		79,200
Homebuilding [Member] \| Land Banking Arrangement [Member]
Liabilities from Inventory Real Estate Not Owned	82,400	16,800		82,400
Inventory Real Estate, Other Options	$ 129,500	$ 25,100		$ 129,500

Aggregate annual retention for construction defect, warranty and bodily injury claims.

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Annual deductible for bodily injury claims.

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The limit on our deductible for bodily injury claims.

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Annual deductible under our general liability insurance per occurrence for construction defects and warranty claims on homes delivered.

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The net book value of mothballed communities at the end of the period.

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The amount of impairment charges recorded to date on our mothballed communities.

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Inventory not owned required to be recorded as a financing in accordance with current accounting standards.

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Inventory under option that it is required to be purchased in the future based on the specific performance terms of the option agreement.

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Joint venture, voting interest percentage.

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Includes the liabilities for the inventory for which we do not have title related to the remaining exercise price of land and lot option purchases contracts; variable interest entities when we are the primary beneficiary; and model sale leaseback financing arrangements.

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The number of mothballed communities at the end of the period.

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Amount of shares of prepaid common stock purchase contracts included in the basic earnings per share calculations, which are issuable in the future with no additional cash required to be paid by the holders thereof.

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Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line.

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For an unclassified balance sheet, a valuation allowance for receivables due a company that are expected to be uncollectible.

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Amount of recoveries of receivables doubtful of collection that were previously charged off.

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Amount of direct write-downs of accounts receivable charged against the allowance.

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Amount of short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

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Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of parcels of land held for sale, and on which the entity has no intention or no further intention to perform construction activities.

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Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

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Amount of expense related to write-down of receivables to the amount expected to be collected. Includes, but is not limited to, accounts receivable and notes receivable.

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