12.

Reduction of Inventory to Fair Value

We record impairment losses on inventories related to communities under development and held for future development when events and circumstances indicate that they

may

be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than their related carrying amounts.

If the expected undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount, then the community is written down to its fair value. We estimate the fair value of each impaired community by determining the present value of the estimated future cash flows at a discount rate commensurate with the risk of the respective community. For the years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015,

our discount rates used for the impairments recorded ranged from

18.3%

19.8%,

16.8%

18.8%

and

17.3%

19.8%,

respectively. Should the estimates or expectations used in determining cash flows or fair value decrease or differ from current estimates in the future, we

may

need to recognize additional impairments.

During the years ended

October 31, 2017

and

2016,

we evaluated inventories of all

372

and

413

communities under development and held for future development or sale, respectively, for impairment indicators through preparation and review of detailed budgets or other market indicators of impairment. We performed detailed impairment calculations during the years ended

October 31, 2017

and

2016

for

and

of those communities (i.e., those with a projected operating loss or other impairment indicators), respectively, with an aggregate carrying value of

$98.0

million and

$125.4

million, respectively. As impairment indicators are assessed on a quarterly basis, some of the communities evaluated during the years ended

October 31, 2017

and

2016

were evaluated in more than

one

quarterly period. Of those communities tested for impairment during the years ended

October 31, 2017

and

2016,

two

and

nine

communities with an aggregate carrying value of

$45.0

million and

$43.5

million, respectively, had undiscounted future cash flows that exceeded the carrying amount by less than

20%.

As a result of our impairment analysis, we recorded aggregate impairment losses, which are included in the Consolidated Statement of Operations on the line entitled “Homebuilding: Inventory impairment loss and land option write-offs” and deducted from inventory, of

$15.1

million,

$24.5

million and

$7.3

million for the years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively.

Impairments decreased for the year ended

October 31, 2017

compared to the prior year as the impairments recorded for the year ended

October 31, 2016

were mainly for land held for sale in the Midwest and Northeast.

The pre-impairment value represents the carrying value, net of prior period impairments, if any, at the time of recording the impairment.

The following table represents impairments by segment for fiscal

2017,

2016

and

2015:

(Dollars in millions)	Year Ended October 31, 2017
	Number of Communities		Dollar Amount of Impairment		Pre- Impairment Value (1)
Northeast		2	$	3.3	$	22.2
Mid-Atlantic		1		1.5		8.5
Midwest		2		0.2		0.8
Southeast		3		8.1		18.3
Southwest		-		-		-
West		2		2.0		3.1
Total		10	$	15.1	$	52.9

(Dollars in millions)	Year Ended October 31, 2016
	Number of Communities		Dollar Amount of Impairment		Pre- Impairment Value (1)
Northeast		5	$	9.5	$	33.8
Mid-Atlantic		-		-		-
Midwest		12		13.5		43.7
Southeast		3		1.5		10.9
Southwest		-		-		-
West		-		-		-
Total		20	$	24.5	$	88.4

(Dollars in millions)	Year Ended October 31, 2015
	Number of Communities		Dollar Amount of Impairment		Pre- Impairment Value (1)
Northeast		2	$	0.8	$	0.9
Mid-Atlantic		1		0.9		2.5
Midwest		4		1.3		8.4
Southeast		4		2.5		10.1
Southwest		-		-		-
West		1		1.8		7.5
Total		12	$	7.3	$	29.4

(

)

Represents carrying value, net of prior period impairments, if any, at the time of recording the applicable period

’s impairments.

The Consolidated Statements of Operations line entitled “Homebuilding: Inventory impairment loss and land option write-offs” also includes write-offs of options and approval, engineering and capitalized interest costs that we record when we redesign communities and/or abandon certain engineering costs and we do

not

exercise options in various locations because the communities

’ pro forma profitability is

not

projected to produce adequate returns on investment commensurate with the risk. The total aggregate write-offs related to these items were

$2.7

million,

$8.9

million and

$4.7

million for the years ended

October

31,

2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively. Occasionally, these write-offs are offset by recovered deposits (sometimes through legal action) that had been written off in a prior period as walk-away costs. Historically, these recoveries have

not

been significant in comparison to the total costs written off.

The following table represents write-offs of such costs by segment for fiscal

2017,

2016

and

2015:

	Year Ended October 31,
(In millions)	2017		2016		2015
Northeast	$	0.5	$	1.6	$	0.9
Mid-Atlantic		0.6		0.8		0.2
Midwest		0.3		1.3		0.6
Southeast		0.8		1.8		1.3
Southwest		0.4		3.2		1.4
West		0.1		0.2		0.3
Total	$	2.7	$	8.9	$	4.7