As weather cools, deals on many items heat up

November almost always ushers in the best deals on major appliances, hand-held electronic gadgets, big-screen TVs — and homes.

Q: I love when you write about the “best buys” for [household] items each month. So, what’s going to be on sale in November?

A: First and foremost, there are good deals to be found in the housing market itself. November typically begins the slowest home-sale season of the year, as prospective sellers delay their marketing plans for a few months to instead focus on the holidays, and harsh weather keeps many would-be buyers indoors.

Considering these factors, many of the property owners who decide to put their home up for sale this time of year often do so because they absolutely have to move soon — perhaps because of a job transfer, financial trouble or tax issues.

That tends to make them more willing to make concessions to the relatively few buyers who are out there, whether it’s cutting their asking price or making other allowances that can save buyers thousands of dollars.

As a bonus, buyers who jump into the market now can beat the expected interest-rate hike that the rate-setting Federal Reserve Board is expected to initiate within the next month or two.

Experts at Consumer Reports magazine note that November is also perhaps the best month to purchase big-ticket household items, including washers, dryers, refrigerators and stoves.

That’s because retailers know that purchases of new appliances typically slow in lockstep with home sales.

Computers and handheld electronic items will be at rock-bottom prices, too, in part because they are popular holiday gifts.

And then there are those big-screen TVs that everyone seems to want.