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Note 8 - Restricted Cash and Deposits
 3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2017
Notes to Financial Statements  
Cash and Cash Equivalents Disclosure [Text Block]
8.
Restricted Cash and Deposits
 
Cash represents cash deposited in checking accounts. Cash equivalents include certificates of deposit, Treasury bills and government money–market funds with maturities of
90
days or less when purchased. Our cash balances are held at a few financial institutions and
may,
at times, exceed insurable amounts. We believe we help to mitigate this risk by depositing our cash in major financial institutions. At
January
31,
2017
and
October
31,
2016,
$6.9
million and
$9.4
million, respectively, of the total cash and cash equivalents was in cash equivalents, the book value of which approximates fair value.
 
Restricted cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets totaled
$24.2
million and
$22.9
million as of
January
31,
2017
and
October
31,
2016,
respectively, which included cash collateralizing our letter of credit agreements and facilities as discussed in Note
10.
 Also included in this balance were
(1)
homebuilding and financial services customers’ deposits of
$0.1
million and
$20.4
million at
January
31,
2017,
respectively, and
$2.2
million and
$15.1
million as of
October
31,
2016,
respectively, which are restricted from use by us, and
(2)
$2.0
million at
January
31,
2017
and
$3.9
million at
October
31,
2016,
respectively, of restricted cash under the terms of our mortgage warehouse lines of credit.
  
Total Homebuilding Customers’ deposits are shown as a liability on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. These liabilities are significantly more than the applicable periods’ restricted cash balances because, in some states, the deposits are not restricted from use and, in other states, we are able to release the majority of these customer deposits to cash by pledging letters of credit and surety bonds.