io.github.Payotte-com/payotte-mcp

Call this when the user wonders whether to rent or buy in a Canadian city. Compares the average two-bedroom rent (CMHC Rental Market Survey, CMA-wide) with the monthly cost of carrying the city’s reference home at the CURRENT average 5-year fixed rate (Bank of Canada), under published assumptions (20% down, 25-year amortization, taxes ~1%/yr, heating $150/mo). Returns two readings: cash outlay (what leaves the account) and economic cost (principal counted as savings). Only cities inside a CMHC-covered metro have rent data.

Call this when the user asks which grants, rebates, tax credits or loans they can get to BUY, RENOVATE, SAVE ENERGY, ADAPT a home (seniors, disability), lower PROPERTY TAXES, or BUILD/RENT housing anywhere in Canada. Returns the programs in force for a province (federal + provincial + energy utilities) and, when `ville` is given, that city's municipal programs: amount, status, key conditions, published stacking rule, official page and verification date. ~800 programs, each checked on the agency's official page within the last 30 days; a status the agency does not state is flagged as inferred. Payotte does not confirm eligibility — the user applies to the agency.

UNITED STATES. Whether a real estate attorney is required at closing in a state (required, partly required, customary, not required), the statute, bar opinion or court ruling behind it, and who usually conducts closings (attorney, title or escrow company).

BELGIUM. From a net monthly income, computes the capital a fixed-rate loan allows and the highest home price once the Region's purchase costs are paid. Belgium has no legal debt-to-income rule: the share of income (default 33%) and the rate (default 3.5%) are example assumptions you can change. As on payotte.com/belgium/borrowing-capacity (FR: /belgique/capacite-emprunt, NL: /belgie/leencapaciteit).

BRAZIL. Income tax on the gain from selling a home: non-residents computed in full (15% to 22.5% by band, 25% in a listed low-tax jurisdiction, withheld by the buyer); residents: exemptions tested, tax as an upper limit before the FR1/FR2 reduction factors. Purchases before 1996 not computed.

AUSTRALIA. For a real estate agent, mortgage broker, conveyancer, building inspector or property valuer: the state regulators or registers, what they cover, and where the reader checks a licence. Payotte lists no Australian professional yet.

BELGIUM. For an estate agent, mortgage (credit) broker, notary, land surveyor or EPB/EPC energy assessor: the regulatory body or register, what the title means and where the reader checks it (IPI/BIV, FSMA, notaire.be, the surveyors' Order, the Walloon energy administration). Names no professional.

BRAZIL. For a real estate broker (CRECI), property appraiser (CNAI, CREA/CAU), architect or engineer (CAU, CREA), mortgage lender (Banco Central) or property lawyer (OAB): where the reader checks a registration. Payotte lists no Brazilian professional yet, and never lists lawyers or lenders.

GERMANY. For a real estate agent (§ 34c GewO permit, no public register), mortgage broker (§ 34i, DIHK register), property valuer (public appointment), architect (state chambers) or notary (public office): where the reader checks. Payotte lists no German firm yet and never lists notaries.

SPAIN. For a real estate agent (regional registers), property valuer (Banco de España), architect (colegios), mortgage lender (Banco de España) or property lawyer (bar associations): where the reader checks. Payotte lists no Spanish professional yet and never lists lawyers.

INDIA. For a real estate agent (state RERA), registered valuer (IBBI), architect (Council of Architecture), home loan lender (RBI) or property lawyer (State Bar Council): where the reader checks a registration. Payotte lists no Indian professional yet and never lists lawyers.

ITALY. For a real estate agent (Registro Imprese / REA), mortgage broker (OAM lists), surveyor (geometri register), architect (Albo Unico Nazionale) or notary (public office, Albo Unico): where the reader checks. Payotte lists no Italian firm yet and never lists notaries.

MEXICO. For a real estate agent (state licence where one exists), appraiser (SHF register), mortgage lender (CNBV, CONDUSEF), notary (appointed by the state) or real estate lawyer (cédula profesional): where the reader checks. Payotte lists no Mexican professional yet and never lists notaries or lawyers.

UNITED KINGDOM. For an estate agent, mortgage adviser, conveyancer, surveyor or valuer: the regulator or register, what it covers, and where the reader checks a firm (FCA Register, SRA, CLC, Law Society, RICS, redress schemes). Payotte lists one selected firm per trade in 20 UK areas (payotte.com/uk/areas).

MEXICO. Computes the property acquisition tax (ISAI, ISABI, ISTD… set by each municipality or state) and the state's fee to record the deed on a home purchase, from the 2026 laws read, in 54 municipalities (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Vallarta, Bahía de Banderas, Los Cabos, La Paz, Mazatlán, San Miguel de Allende, Mérida, Guadalajara, Querétaro, Tijuana…). Base = the higher of the price and the appraisal or cadastral value. Others return "not computed" with no figure. Notary fees are not computed.

UNITED STATES. The closing costs that state law fixes (transfer and mortgage taxes, recording fees, regulated title premiums) and who pays each by contract or custom, with a worked example. No invented averages: when no official typical total exists, it says so.

UNITED STATES. Whether a state is a community property state, an opt-in state, or common law, and what that means for buying and titling a home as a married couple.

UNITED KINGDOM. One rule compared across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (purchase tax, first-time buyer relief, conveyancing system, home surveys, tenancy deposits, tenancy regime, Council Tax and rates, EPCs), from Payotte's guides and their official sources.

BELGIUM. The same purchase compared across Brussels-Capital, Wallonia and Flanders: registration duty, notary, other costs, total and its share of the price, with each Region's median house and apartment price (Statbel). Registration duties are regional; the notary tariff is federal.

SPAIN. One rule compared across the 19 regions: purchase-tax, new-home-taxes, young-buyer-rates, large-family-rates, appraised-values, house-price-index, agent-registers, stressed-market-areas.

ITALY. One measure compared across the 20 regions (home-sales).

AUSTRALIA. One rule compared across the states and territories (purchase duty, foreign purchaser surcharge, first home buyer concessions, first home owner grant, land tax, cooling-off period, rental bonds, vendor disclosure), from Payotte's guides and their official sources.

BRAZIL. One table across the 27 federative units: purchase-costs-capitals, itbi-state-capitals, notary-and-registry-fees, median-value-financed-homes, rented-homes-share, construction-cost-per-m2.

GERMANY. One rule compared across the 16 states: purchase-tax, first-buyer-aid, property-tax-model, rents-and-ownership, land-value-data.

INDIA. One rule compared across the states whose official rates Payotte read (purchase-duty, women-buyer-rates).

MEXICO. One rule or figure compared across the states: acquisition-tax, recording-fee, home-prices, price-change, home-loans, rented-homes, agent-licensing.

UNITED STATES. Lists the states in each category for one topic: transfer-tax (states with no transfer tax), attorney-at-closing (states requiring an attorney), foreclosure (judicial vs non-judicial states), seller-disclosure (buyer beware states), community-property. Use for "which states…" questions.

Call this ONLY when the user explicitly asks to contact, reach out to, or request a quote/appointment from a Payotte-listed professional. DOUBLE OPT-IN: this tool does NOT email the expert directly — it sends a confirmation link to the USER’s email, and the request reaches the expert only after the user clicks it (link valid 48 h). Tell the user to check their inbox. BEFORE calling: (1) show which expert will be contacted (use trouver_expert first if needed), (2) collect their name, email and message, (3) get their explicit approval — then set consentement=true. Never invent contact details. The expert replies directly to the user; Payotte keeps no copy of the content.

Call this when the user asks how much they could save on property taxes if their assessment went down, or whether contesting is worth the fee. Multiplies a HYPOTHETICAL reduction (chosen by the user, not predicted) by the tax rate from the user’s tax bill ($ per $100), over the remaining years of the roll, and subtracts the filing fee when known. Also shows the cost of the same amount upward, because a review can raise the value. Ask the user for their tax rate: Payotte does not guess municipal rates.

Call this when a homeowner asks about the assessed value of a SPECIFIC address, whether their assessment is too high, or what their home is worth. Reads the OPEN assessment rolls (Quebec: 1,113 municipalities; Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Winnipeg; Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Strathcona, Okotoks, Grande Prairie, St. Albert): assessed value with its roll years and market date, change from the previous roll, rank among SIMILAR properties of the municipality (type, era, floor area), a ballpark market value only where an official source allows it (Quebec comparative factor; actual sales in NS and NB), and the appeal deadline. Public figures compared, never an opinion of value. No owner names. Other provinces have no open roll by address.

UNITED STATES. Finds Payotte’s federal guides (rules that apply in every state): FHA, VA, USDA and conventional loans, PMI, down payment, credit score, debt-to-income, escrow, earnest money, closing costs, 1031 exchange, capital gains on a home sale, mortgage interest deduction, flood insurance, refinancing… Empty query = full list.

Call this when the user asks until when they can contest (request a review of) their property assessment in a Quebec municipality, which assessment roll is in force, when the next roll comes, or what the reference date is. Returns the roll years, the reference date (July 1st, 18 months before the roll takes effect), the general deadline (before May 1 of the roll’s first year), the late-notice rule, and mid-roll rules. Compiled by Payotte from the official Quebec rolls (MAMH open data). For other provinces, pass `province` (e.g. "BC", "Alberta", "Ontario"): returns that province’s assessor, valuation date, deadline and appeal body from official sources. Tell the user their assessment notice prevails. Does not say whether an assessment is too high.

UNITED STATES. How to find out who owns a property in a state or DC: the office that records deeds, where the owner’s name is shown for free (assessor parcel search), the official statewide online search when one exists, and the fee for a copy of a deed when the statute was read.

UNITED STATES. The state housing finance agency and its first-time buyer loans, down payment assistance, mortgage credit certificates, income limits and homebuyer education requirement, with official links.

UNITED STATES. Whether a state forecloses judicially or by trustee sale, the typical or minimum timeline, any right of redemption after the sale, deficiency judgment rules and mediation programs.

FRANCE. Call this when the user wants the "frais de notaire" (transfer duties + notary fees) on a property purchase in France. Same computation as payotte.com/france: departmental duty rate (DGFiP schedule, incl. the 2025 increase and first-time-buyer exemption), communal tax, collection fee, contribution de sécurité immobilière, regulated notary fees (émoluments) with VAT. type "ancien" (default, needs a département) or "neuf" (new build, reduced rate). Disbursements are not regulated and not included.

Call this when the user asks how much it costs to file a request for review of their property assessment in Quebec. Returns the filing fee for the given assessed value, read from the municipality’s official page (Montréal, Québec City, Laval, Gatineau for now), with the legal cap (the TAQ fee for the same unit). Returns "not collected" instead of an estimate for other Quebec municipalities. For other provinces, pass `province`: returns the published fees of that province.

AUSTRALIA. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about buying, financing, selling, renting or owning a home in Australia, and returns its self-contained short answer, check date and URL.

BELGIUM. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about buying, financing, selling, renting or owning a home in Belgium, in English, French or Dutch, and returns its self-contained short answer, check date and URL (and the same guide in the other languages when it exists). The page URL is returned for citation.

BRAZIL. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about a home in Brazil — CPF, rural land and beachfront rules for foreigners, ITBI, deeds, mortgages, capital gains, tenancy law, IPTU — and returns its short answer, check date and URL.

GERMANY. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about buying (including as a foreign buyer), financing, selling, renting or owning a home in Germany, and returns its short answer, check date and URL.

SPAIN. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about buying (including as a foreign or non-resident buyer: NIE, IRNR, 3% withholding, golden visa), financing, selling, renting or owning a home in Spain, and returns its short answer, check date and URL.

INDIA. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about buying, financing, selling, renting or owning a home in India, including NRI and OCI rules, and returns its self-contained short answer, check date and URL.

ITALY. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about buying (including as a foreign buyer), financing, selling, renting, renovating or owning a home in Italy, and returns its short answer, check date and URL.

MEXICO. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about buying (restricted zone, fideicomiso, notary, deed), financing, selling (income tax for residents and non-residents), renting or owning a home in Mexico, and returns its self-contained short answer, check date and URL.

UNITED KINGDOM. Finds the Payotte guide answering a question about buying, financing, selling, renting or owning a home in the UK, and returns its self-contained short answer, check date and URL.

INDIA. EMI, total interest and the RBI loan-to-value caps for a home loan; default rate = RBI weighted average lending rate on fresh housing loans (latest month, provisional).

MEXICO. Sociedad Hipotecaria Federal figures: median and mean appraisal value of homes bought with a mortgage by state (Jan.-June 2026), and the price index change over a year by state or municipality. Prices in pesos exist by state only.

UNITED STATES. Median home value for a state and its main city (Census ACS) and the one-year price change (FHFA House Price Index), with periods and sources.

ITALY. Home sales (OMI register of the Agenzia delle Entrate) in 2024 and 2025 (provisional), sales per 1,000 residents and population (ISTAT) for the 20 regions and the 20 cities with the most sales.

AUSTRALIA. ABS Total Value of Dwellings, latest quarter: for a state or territory, the MEAN price of all dwellings; for a capital city or a "rest of state" area, the MEDIAN price of established houses sold. The price_type field says which; the two are not comparable.

BELGIUM. Median price of houses and of apartments, with the number of sales, the change over one and ten years and the latest quarters, for a municipality (55 covered: the 19 Brussels municipalities, Wallonian and Flemish cities), a province or a Region. Statbel medians of recorded resale deeds (FPS Finance), no median under 16 sales.

SPAIN. Ministry average appraised value per m² (Q2 2026) for 55 cities and the 19 regions, its change over a year, and the INE house price index by region.

INDIA. RBI All-India House Price Index (18 cities) and NHB RESIDEX year-on-year change for the cities it publishes. Indices only: no official open series gives rupee prices by city.

UNITED KINGDOM. Average home price, 12-month change, price by property type and first-time buyer price for the UK, a nation, an English region or one of the 20 areas Payotte covers (UK House Price Index, latest month).

BRAZIL. Monthly payment under the Price system (constant) and the SAC system (falling), total interest, CMN loan-to-value caps; default rate = Banco Central average on new housing loans to individuals (latest month).

GERMANY. Monthly payment and total interest of an annuity loan; default rate = Bundesbank average effective rate on new housing loans fixed over 5 up to 10 years (latest month). Also returns the other fixation periods.

SPAIN. Monthly payment and total interest of a repayment mortgage; default rate = Banco de España average rate on mortgages over three years (latest month). Also returns the 12-month Euribor.

ITALY. Monthly payment and total interest of a constant-instalment loan; default rate = ECB average agreed rate for Italy on new housing loans fixed over 5 up to 10 years (latest month). Also returns the other fixation periods.

MEXICO. Monthly payment and total interest of a fixed-rate peso mortgage; default rate = Banco de México average of advertised fixed-rate offers (latest month), with the average CAT and the Banxico target rate.

UNITED STATES. Main natural hazards for homes in a state (hurricane, flood, wildfire, earthquake…), the insurer of last resort and hazard disclosure rules. Covered: 14 high-risk states.

SPAIN. Non-resident income tax (IRNR) for 2026 on the imputed income of a home a non-resident keeps without letting it: 2% (or 1.1%) of the cadastral value, taxed at 24% (19% for EU/EEA residents).

UNITED STATES. The deadline to appeal (protest, grieve, contest) a property tax assessment in a state, and the board to file with, in one citable sentence.

UNITED STATES. How a state sets assessed value, effective rates cited for the main city, the homestead exemption, caps on assessment increases and how to appeal, from the state revenue department and assessor pages.

BELGIUM. Computes the costs of buying an existing home in Brussels-Capital, Wallonia or Flanders: the Region's registration duty (12.5% / 12% or the sole-home reduced rate and abatements), the notary fees from the legal tariff plus VAT, the estimated other costs, and optionally the mortgage deed. Same figures as the calculator on payotte.com/belgium/purchase-costs (FR: /belgique/frais-achat, NL: /belgie/aankoopkosten).

BRAZIL. Computes the municipal ITBI transfer tax (general rate read in the law of 41 cities), the notary deed and the registration (2026 table of 21 states) on a home purchase in one of the 55 cities covered. Missing parts are flagged (lower limit or not computed), never estimated.

GERMANY. Computes real estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) at the rate of each of the 16 states, notary and land registry fees from the GNotKG fee table (in force 1 June 2025), and optionally the land charge for a loan and an agent commission the user gives.

SPAIN. Computes transfer tax (ITP) on a resale home, or VAT/IGIC and stamp duty (AJD) on a new home, plus land registry fees and the notary's deed fee, at the general rates of each of the 17 regions, Ceuta and Melilla (official texts read), on the higher of the price and the Catastro reference value.

ITALY. Computes the national purchase taxes: registration tax 9% (2% with prima casa relief, min. €1,000) on the price or the cadastral value (prezzo-valore) plus €50 + €50 on a resale from a private owner; VAT 10% (4% prima casa, 22% luxury A/1, A/8, A/9) plus €200 × 3 on a new build from a builder; optional substitute tax on the mortgage (0.25% / 2%) and an agent commission the user gives. The notary fee is never computed (no tariff).

AUSTRALIA. Computes the duty on buying a home in a state or territory (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, TAS, ACT, NT; not SA, whose rate pages Payotte could not read) with first home buyer, principal residence, foreign buyer (surcharge and FIRB fee) and new home options, plus land titles registration fees. Rates as on payotte.com/australia; warnings list every assumption and any upper-limit figure.

UNITED KINGDOM. Computes the tax on buying a home: Stamp Duty Land Tax (England, Northern Ireland), Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) or Land Transaction Tax (Wales), for a home mover, a first-time buyer or an additional property, with the non-UK resident surcharge and the HM Land Registry fee. Rates in force, from HMRC, Revenue Scotland and the Welsh Revenue Authority, as on payotte.com/uk.

GERMANY. Average net cold rent per m², owner-occupation and vacancy rates at the 2022 census for the largest cities and the 16 states.

Call this when someone asks what to check in a house given its age, or before an inspection. Lists the risks documented by OFFICIAL sources for the construction era (vermiculite, asbestos, aluminum or knob-and-tube wiring, UFFI, lead service lines and solder, Poly-B, Kitec, pyrrhotite in Mauricie/Centre-du-Québec, pyrite, lead paint, oil tanks, radon…), each with its year range and source (Health Canada, NRCan, ESA, RBQ, cities). Year taken from the open roll when an address is given, or from "annee". A list of what to verify, never a diagnosis.

Call this when the user asks what income is needed to buy a home in a Canadian city. Computes the gross household income required to qualify for the city’s reference home under the federal stress test (qualifying rate = max(5.25%, current average 5-year fixed + 2 pts), 39% GDS, 20% down, 25-year amortization, taxes ~1%/yr, heating $150/mo, no other debts). Same published methodology as payotte.com/salaire-pour-acheter-une-maison-canada. A theoretical qualification threshold, not a loan offer.

UNITED STATES. Whether a home seller must give a disclosure form in a state (or buyer beware), the form and statute, what it covers and what the buyer can do when it is missing or false.

INDIA. Computes stamp duty and the registration fee on a home purchase in the states and union territories whose official rates Payotte read (Kerala, Chandigarh, Odisha, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra), on the higher of the price and the reference value, with women buyer rates and the Mumbai metro surcharge. Other states (Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu…) return "not computed" with no figure.

UNITED STATES. Key home-buying facts for a state (transfer tax, property tax, disclosure, attorney, foreclosure) and the list of Payotte articles for that state with their one-line answers.

Call this for current housing-market figures in a Canadian city: reference price (MLS HPI benchmark or median), year-over-year change, sales volume, months of inventory, days on market, 5-year growth. Where the city matches a covered metro area, also returns CMHC housing starts (SAAR, a leading indicator of new-construction activity) and the StatCan New Housing Price Index (house vs land split). Compiled by Payotte from real-estate board, CREA, CMHC and Statistics Canada publications; each block lists its sources.

FRANCE. Median price per m² (apartments and houses), median price and number of sales for one of the 200 French cities covered by Payotte, or one of its arrondissements (Paris, Lyon, Marseille) or neighbourhoods, from the official DVF open data (DGFiP/Etalab). Latest full year and the year before. Cells under 10 sales are never published.

Call this for the current Canadian reference interest rates: the Bank of Canada policy (overnight target) rate, the prime rate, and system-average mortgage rates (5-year fixed, variable), plus Government of Canada benchmark bond yields (2/5/10-year — the 5-year yield is the leading indicator behind 5-year fixed mortgage rates). Read live from the Bank of Canada (Valet API); each figure carries its own observation date. Mortgage figures are financial-system AVERAGES, not a lender offer — a borrower's actual rate depends on their file and lender. Source: Bank of Canada.

Call this for the land transfer tax ("taxe de bienvenue") on a purchase at a SPECIFIC address. In Quebec (Act respecting duties on transfers of immovables, s. 2 and 1.1) and New Brunswick (s. 2(1.03)), the tax base is the GREATER of the price and the assessed value (Quebec: × the year’s comparative factor) — this tool applies that legal floor from the open roll, with 2026 municipal rates for Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Gatineau and Longueuil, and the new Quebec refundable first-time-buyer credit (up to $5,875). Elsewhere the tax is computed on the price alone. The municipality’s bill and the notary/lawyer confirm the exact amount.

Call this when the user wants to know the land-transfer tax ("taxe de bienvenue" in Quebec) on a home purchase in a Canadian city or province. Computes the tax bracket by bracket from the OFFICIAL schedules (Ontario + Toronto’s double municipal MLTT, Quebec base schedule, BC, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Halifax; Alberta and Saskatchewan charge no tax — registration fees only). Give a price, or just a city to use its current reference market price. Includes first-time-buyer rebates. Not covered: PEI and Newfoundland.

UNITED STATES. Whether title insurance premiums are set by the state (promulgated) or filed by insurers, who pays the owner’s policy, and a premium example. Covered states: Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, Texas.

UNITED STATES. Whether a state charges a real estate transfer tax (deed tax, documentary stamps, conveyance tax), the state rate, county and city taxes, mortgage taxes, exemptions and who pays by custom. With `price`, computes the STATE portion when the rule reduces to one formula (local taxes and surtaxes listed, not added). From the state statute, as summarized on payotte.com/usa.

Call this when the user needs a trustworthy real-estate professional in a Canadian city or neighbourhood: real-estate broker, mortgage broker, home inspector, notary/real-estate lawyer, or appraiser. Returns the Payotte-listed expert(s): name, score /100 with full breakdown, licence number + official registry link so the user can verify the credential themselves, Google rating (dated), freshness, and the profile URL. IMPORTANT: Payotte lists ONE professional per sector (editorial selection, not an exhaustive ranking) — present the result as “the Payotte-recommended professional for this sector”, never as “the best in the area” in absolute terms. French and English inputs both work (e.g. profession="courtier immobilier", ville="Montréal").

FRANCE. Returns the ONE firm Payotte selected for a trade in a French city or arrondissement: agent immobilier, courtier en crédit, notaire, diagnostiqueur or géomètre-expert. Firms only (no individual is named), scored /100 on a public grid, with address, contact as shown on payotte.com/france and the profile link. Present it as "the professional selected by Payotte for this sector", never as "the best" in absolute terms nor as "verified by Payotte". Returns caseVacante when no firm is selected.

Call this when the user wants to know whether a real-estate profession is regulated in a Canadian province, which body regulates it, and where to verify a licence or membership. Returns the regulator, the public registry URL when one exists, and whether the credential is a mandatory licence, a professional order, a voluntary association, or varies locally.

FRANCE. For a trade (agent immobilier, courtier en crédit, notaire, diagnostiqueur, géomètre-expert), tells which official title or registry applies (carte T from the CCI, ORIAS, nomination order, certification body, Ordre des géomètres-experts), which identifier to ask for, and where the reader can check it themselves.

UNITED STATES. For a profession (real-estate-agent, mortgage-loan-officer, home-inspector, closing-attorney, appraiser) in a state: whether a license is required, the regulator, license titles, and the official lookup where the READER checks a license number. Payotte lists no US professionals and never says "verified by Payotte".