Note 1 - Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2018
Notes to Financial Statements
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	1. Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation - The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and include Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.’s (“HEI”) accounts and those of all wholly owned subsidiaries, after elimination of all intercompany balances and transactions. HEI’s fiscal year ends October 31. Reclassifications - In fiscal 2018, we reclassified our Senior Secured Term Loan due 2019 on the Consolidated Balance Sheets from the line item “Notes payable (net of discount, premium and debt issuance costs) and accrued interest” to “Revolving and term loan credit facilities, net of debt issuance costs”, resulting in a reclassification of the October 31, 2017 balance of $73.0 million. Effective October 31, 2018 we early adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016 - 18 “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230 ): Restricted Cash” (“ASU 2016 - 18” ). As a result, restricted cash amounts are no longer shown within the operating and investing activities as these balances are now included in the beginning and ending cash balances in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The adoption also resulted in the reclassification of restricted cash in operating and investing activities of $4.0 million and $2.6 million, respectively, for the year ended October 31, 2017, and $0.7 million and $2.9 million, respectively, for the year ended October 31, 2016. These amounts are now included in the beginning and ending cash balances for the respective periods. See also the reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company has changed the presentation of our consolidated balance sheets to present its financial services assets on a combined basis. Prior year amounts have also been combined to reflect this presentation. As a result, “Financial services cash and cash equivalents” of $5.6 million at October 31, 2017 is now included in “Financial Services” under the new presentation. Financial services cash and cash equivalents balances are now included in the reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Basis of Presentation

- The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and include Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.’s (“HEI”) accounts and those of all wholly owned subsidiaries, after elimination of all intercompany balances and transactions. HEI’s fiscal year ends

October 31.

Reclassifications -

In fiscal

2018,

we reclassified our Senior Secured Term Loan due

2019

on the Consolidated Balance Sheets from the line item “Notes payable (net of discount, premium and debt issuance costs) and accrued interest” to “Revolving and term loan credit facilities, net of debt issuance costs”, resulting in a reclassification of the

October 31, 2017

balance of

$73.0

million.

Effective

October 31, 2018

we early adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”)

2016

“Statement of Cash Flows (Topic

230

): Restricted Cash” (“ASU

2016

18”

). As a result, restricted cash amounts are

longer shown within the operating and investing activities as these balances are now included in the beginning and ending cash balances in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The adoption also resulted in the reclassification of restricted cash in operating and investing activities of

$4.0

million and

$2.6

million, respectively, for the year ended

October 31, 2017,

and

$0.7

million and

$2.9

million, respectively, for the year ended

October 31, 2016.

These amounts are now included in the beginning and ending cash balances for the respective periods. See also the reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

The Company has changed the presentation of our consolidated balance sheets to present its financial services assets on a combined basis. Prior year amounts have also been combined to reflect this presentation. As a result, “Financial services cash and cash equivalents” of

$5.6

million at

October 31, 2017

is now included in “Financial Services” under the new presentation. Financial services cash and cash equivalents balances are now included in the reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.