mcp

Cited, receipt-backed US home-buying data & calculators — education-only, every number sourced.

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What it can do

    What data it sees

    Do you need an account

    No: the server works without sign-in

    Cited, receipt-backed US home-buying data & calculators — education-only, every number sourced.

    How to connect

    How to connect mcp to Claude

    The server address to paste into Claude settings:

    https://candidcost.com/api/mcp

    1. Open Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app).
    2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
    3. Click Add custom connector.
    4. Paste the server address copied below into Remote MCP server URL and click Add.
    5. In a chat, click + → Connectors and switch the new connector on.

    Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Free is limited to one). On Team and Enterprise an organization Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings → Connectors.

    Authorization

    After you click Add, a sign-in window for the service opens. Sign in with your own account and approve access. Claude never sees your password.

    How to connect mcp to ChatGPT

    The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:

    https://candidcost.com/api/mcp

    1. Open ChatGPT in a browser (chatgpt.com). A Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu plan is required.
    2. Turn on developer mode once: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode.
    3. Open Settings → Connectors and click Create.
    4. Fill in the form: Name (anything), Description (one line about what the service does), MCP server URL (copy it below).
    5. Under Authentication choose OAuth if the service requires sign-in, otherwise None. Click Create.
    6. In a new chat open + → Apps/Connectors and enable the connector.

    OpenAI has renamed this section before (Connectors → Apps/Plugins). If the label differs, search settings for "developer mode". On Business/Enterprise workspaces an admin must allow custom connectors first.

    Authorization

    On first use ChatGPT opens the service's sign-in window. Sign in and approve access.

    How to connect mcp to Cursor

    The server address to paste into Cursor settings:

    https://candidcost.com/api/mcp

    Fastest: click Open in Cursor below and confirm the prompt.

    Manually:

    1. In Cursor open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and click Add new global MCP server.
    2. Paste the JSON copied below into ~/.cursor/mcp.json (per project: .cursor/mcp.json in the repo root).
    3. Save the file. The server appears in the MCP list; authorize it there if asked.

    Authorization

    If the service needs sign-in, an authorize button appears next to the server in the MCP list.

    Server tool list (10)

    Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.

    true_cost_estimateEstimate the full monthly cost of owning a home — principal & interest, property tax, insurance, PMI, HOA, and maintenance — and contrast it with the lender "approval" payment (PITI+PMI) to reveal the hidden monthly gap. Dollar inputs are US dollars; all money in the response is integer cents; rates are fixed-precision percent strings.
    affordability_estimateCompute front-end (housing) and back-end (total debt) DTI budgets from income and debts, and the home price implied by the binding limit. Reports the standard 28/36 thresholds without ever telling the user what they "can afford". Dollar inputs are US dollars; money in the response is integer cents.
    fee_benchmarksReturn closing-cost and rate-spread percentile distributions (p25/p50/p75 + mean) for a US state, computed from the row-level CFPB HMDA LAR for originated, first-lien, home-purchase loans. Cells with fewer than 25 records are suppressed. Dollar metrics are integer cents (…Cents); percent metrics are fixed-precision strings (…Pct). Each distribution carries a ledger receipt hash for verification.
    benchmark_ratesReturn the latest benchmark mortgage rates (e.g. 30-year and 15-year fixed) from the Federal Reserve (FRED), each with its observation date and ledger receipt. Rates are fixed-precision percent strings.
    search_dpa_programsFind down payment assistance (DPA) programs by US state and/or buyer type. Includes national programs. Each result links to its official government source and carries a ledger receipt and last-verified date.
    decode_loan_estimate_feeClassify a mortgage Loan Estimate fee by CFPB section and control class (set by lender, shoppable, third-party, government, or prepaid), with a plain-language explanation and an educational question a buyer could ask. Omit "fee" to list the full catalog.
    payment_shock_estimateEstimate why a mortgage payment often jumps in year two: escrow at closing is sized from the seller's current tax bill, but the county reassesses at your purchase price, and RESPA spreads the resulting escrow shortage over 12 months. Given the purchase price, the seller's current annual tax (from the listing), a state (or county FIPS) for the reassessment rate, and insurance, returns the year-1 escrow, the year-2 ongoing escrow, the temporary catch-up peak, and the jump. Money is integer cents. This decomposes the mechanics; it is not a prediction of your specific bill.
    pressure_checkDecompose the tradeoff a rushed buyer faces: the earnest money at risk by walking away versus what overpaying to "win" costs over the life of the loan. Given the earnest money at risk, the overpay amount over your walk-away price, down-payment percent, rate, and term, returns the cash and financed shares of the overpay, the extra monthly P&I, the lifetime cost of overpaying, and its ratio to the earnest money. Money is integer cents. Educational decomposition — it names the two numbers so they can be compared; it never tells the user to walk or stay.
    rent_vs_buy_estimateCompare the net cost of owning against renting over a holding period and find the break-even year. Owning nets upfront cash and recurring carrying costs against sale proceeds (appreciated value − selling costs − remaining loan); renting nets rent paid against the investment gain on the cash a buyer would tie up. Dollar inputs are US dollars; money in the response is integer cents. Appreciation, rent growth, and investment return are user-set assumptions. Tax deductions are excluded (documented simplification). Educational decomposition — it reports both net costs and the break-even year; it never says rent or buy.
    verify_receiptVerify a CandidCost ledger receipt hash (full sha256 or short "3f9a…c21e" form). Confirms the receipt exists and that its dataset hash chain is intact, proving the underlying data has not been altered since ingestion.