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Before the Lot

R0· no sign-in

Car-buying math and state rules: out-the-door prices, quote checks, leases and trade-ins

v1.0.0 · active · website · descriptor JSON · versions

An agent can connect right now, no human step.Remote endpoint, no authentication, reachable on the last probe.
Quality82good
Trust82of 100
Uptime, 30 days95%
Latency p50415 ms

Connect

8 clients · secrets stay placeholders
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "before-the-lot": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://beforethelot.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
claude mcp add --transport http before-the-lot https://beforethelot.com/mcp
[mcp_servers.before-the-lot]
url = "https://beforethelot.com/mcp"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "before-the-lot": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://beforethelot.com/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "before-the-lot": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://beforethelot.com/mcp"
    }
  },
  "deeplink": "cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=before-the-lot&config=eyJ0eXBlIjoiaHR0cCIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYmVmb3JldGhlbG90LmNvbS9tY3AifQ%3D%3D"
}
{
  "servers": {
    "before-the-lot": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://beforethelot.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "before-the-lot": {
      "httpUrl": "https://beforethelot.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
extensions:
  "before-the-lot":
    enabled: true
    name: "before-the-lot"
    type: streamable_http
    uri: "https://beforethelot.com/mcp"
    timeout: 300

Quality 82 / 100good

protocol88 · weight 25
  • pass
    protocol.modernsupports 2026-07-28 (server/discover)
  • pass
    protocol.statelessanswers without a session
  • pass
    protocol.transportstreamable HTTP
  • warn
    protocol.list_ttltools/list declares ttlMs 0, so clients re-fetch it on every use
authorizationn/a · weight 15
  • n/a
    auth.prm, auth.as_metadata, auth.cimdno remote uses OAuth
  • n/a
    auth.secret_in_urlno templated URL
tool hygiene94 · weight 30
  • pass
    tools.descriptionsevery tool has a description
  • pass
    tools.description_lengthdescriptions are concise
  • pass
    tools.schemasevery tool has an object input schema
  • pass
    tools.annotations16 of 16 tools declare readOnlyHint or destructiveHint
  • pass
    tools.directory_hintsevery tool declares readOnlyHint, destructiveHint, idempotentHint and openWorldHint
  • warn
    tools.token_costabout 9,628 tokens to load every tool
  • pass
    tools.api_dumptools are not a one-to-one API dump
  • pass
    tools.hidden_textno hidden text in tool names, descriptions, schemas or annotations
stability50 · weight 15
  • warn
    stability.changes14 tool changes in 30 days
  • fail
    stability.rug_pull2 tools kept their name but changed most of their description in 30 days; review before trusting them
  • pass
    stability.new_linksno tool change named a new site
dependenciesn/a · weight 15
  • n/a
    deps.known_vulns, deps.mcp_sdk_version, deps.resolvableno npm or PyPI package

16 tools, about 9,628 tokens to load them all · tool set 139c508cd1b9 · tools last changed 2026-11-02 · checked 2026-11-14 08:10 UTC

Tool changes

  • plan_linkchangeddescription
    before

    Builds a Before the Lot planner link that opens with the numbers given already filled in. The plan travels in the link itself, so nothing is stored. Numbers and short labels only; names, phone numbers and emails are refused.

    after · 63% of words in common

    Builds a link to the free Before the Lot planner that opens with the numbers given already filled in, so the person can carry on in the web planner with their trade-in, loan, budget and quotes. Use it after working out numbers in the chat. The plan travels in the link itself, so nothing is stored. Numbers and short labels only; names, phone numbers and emails are refused.

  • desk_scriptchangeddescription
    before

    The Before the Lot line for a moment at the desk. Pass a script id (monthly-payment, trade-first, down-payment, credit-check, numbers-changed, preinstalled-add-ons, initial-worksheet, decide-today, beat-my-rate, fi-product, only-a-month, paint-or-markup, below-invoice, trade-below-offer, leaving) or a short description of the situation.

    after · 51% of words in common

    A short line a buyer can say at a moment in the dealership's sales or finance office, such as being asked for a monthly payment, a credit check before a price, or a pitch for an add-on, with when it applies and why it works. Use it when someone describes what's happening at the desk. Pass a script id (monthly-payment, trade-first, down-payment, credit-check, numbers-changed, preinstalled-add-ons, initial-worksheet, decide-today, beat-my-rate, fi-product, only-a-month, paint-or-markup, below-invoice, trade-below-offer, leaving) or a short description; returns the one or two lines that fit, or the list of situations on file when none does.

  • offers_pagechangeddescription, input schemameaning changed
    before

    Where a maker lists its own current offers (and a model's own page where one can be built), with whether the maker lists national offers at all.

    after · 38% of words in common

    The address of a car maker's own page of current offers (rebates, special APRs, lease deals), and of a model's page where one can be built, with whether the maker lists national offers at all and when the address was checked. Use it to point someone to the maker's official offers before comparing a rebate with a special APR (rebate_vs_apr). Returns links only, not the offers themselves, which change often and can vary by region.

  • dealer_emailchangeddescription, input schema
    before

    Fills one of the six Before the Lot email templates (request a quote, make an offer, a competing quote, confirm the deal, decline, tell a lender) with the details given and returns the subject and body. Details are numbers and short labels; contact details are refused.

    after · 51% of words in common

    Drafts an email to a dealer or lender from one of six Before the Lot templates: request an itemized out-the-door quote, make an offer, share a competing quote, confirm the deal, decline, or give a lender the deal's numbers. Returns a subject and body for the person to review and send from their own inbox; nothing is sent. Details are numbers and short labels; contact details are refused, and an offer over the walk line given isn't drafted.

  • state_ruleschangeddescription
    before

    A state's rules on dealer doc fees, sales tax (state rate, local add-on range, cap), trade-in tax credit, how a maker's rebate is taxed, and cancellation rights where on file, each with its source, as-of date and confidence, plus the link to the state's page.

    after · 67% of words in common

    A state's car-buying rules: the dealer doc-fee cap or rule, sales tax (state rate, local add-on range, any cap), whether a trade-in lowers the taxed price, how a maker's rebate is taxed, and cancellation rights where on file. Each comes with its source, as-of date and confidence, plus the link to the state's page. Use it for the rules themselves; for a price with a city's local tax, use out_the_door.

  • get_methodchangeddescriptionmeaning changed
    before

    The Before the Lot method: an overview and its seven stages (what to collect, what each produces, which guides, tools and email templates apply, and when the stage is done). Pass a stage id for one stage.

    after · 49% of words in common

    The Before the Lot method for buying a car: an overview and its seven stages, from setting the budget at home to signing. Each stage says what to collect, what it produces, which guides, tools and email templates apply, and when it's done. Use it to plan a purchase step by step or to see where a step fits; pass a stage id for that stage alone. Returns text with a link to the method's page.

  • trade_in_positionchangeddescription, input schema
    before

    From written trade-in offers and the payoff: the best offer still open (the floor a dealer's trade number is compared with), the equity or negative equity, and, with a state and vehicle price, the sales tax the trade saves where the state credits it.

    after · 65% of words in common

    Sizes up a trade-in from written offers (CarMax, Carvana, dealers) and what's still owed: the best offer still open, which is the floor a dealer's trade number is compared with, the equity or negative equity, and, with a state and vehicle price, the sales tax the trade saves where the state credits it. Use it before visiting dealers; check_quote compares a quote's trade allowance with these offers.

  • lease_checkchangeddescription
    before

    Works a lease quote from MSRP, selling price, residual and money factor (or the lease's APR): the depreciation and rent charges, the payment with tax (and a state lease tax on top where there is one, such as Pennsylvania's 3%; Alabama's 1.5% and West Virginia's 5% lease-payment rates in place of their sales rates; in states that tax a lease once at the start, such as Texas and Ohio, the payment carries no tax and the result says so), the money factor as an APR, and the total cost. With a loan APR and term, it also compares leasing with buying the same car over the lease's months (on a labelled depreciation assumption).

    after · 51% of words in common

    Works a lease quote from the MSRP, selling price, residual and money factor (or the lease's APR): the depreciation and rent charges, the monthly payment with the state's lease tax, the money factor as an APR, and the total cost, including any tax charged once at the start (Texas, Ohio and others). With a loan APR and term, it also compares leasing with buying the same car over the lease's months. Use it to check a lease offer's numbers; for buying, use out_the_door.

  • loan_paymentchangeddescription, input schema
    before

    The monthly payment, total interest and total paid on a car loan, with what a term over 60 months adds in interest compared with 60.

    after · 50% of words in common

    The monthly payment, total interest and total paid on a car loan from the amount financed, APR and term, with what a term over 60 months adds in interest compared with 60. Use it for a loan on its own; out_the_door works the payment from a car price, and refinance_check compares a new loan with an existing one.

  • rebate_vs_aprchangedinput schema

Showing the latest 10. Full history: list_changes · trend: quality JSON.

Checks run on what our credential-free, read-only probes observe; tools are never called and no code audit is performed. How it is computed.

Trust 82 / 100

no-repository
provenance55
liveness98
freshness100
hygiene80

+dns-namespace +website +reachable +uptime-95% +updated-17d-ago -no-repository

Derived from observable signals (official registry feed and our own credential-free probes); no code audit performed. How it is computed.

Endpoints

remoteauthreachableuptime 30dp50protocollast ok
https://beforethelot.com/mcp streamable-httpnoneyes95%415 ms2026-07-282026-11-14

Tools (16)

check_quoteread-onlyReads a dealer's out-the-door quote, pasted as text (up to 8 KB) or given as line items, and checks it line by line: the out-the-door total, the doc fee against the state's cap (and capped service fees such as Ohio's $50 convenience fee), the tax line against the state's rate, finance-office add-ons with typical prices, the trade allowance against written trade-in offers, the trade equity and amount financed, and the walk line. Lines with an email address or phone number are removed before reading and never returned. Nothing is stored.
compare_quotesread-onlyRanks two to ten itemized dealer quotes for the same car by out-the-door total, with each one's gap to the lowest and to the walk line, and (with a state) each doc fee against the state's cap. Use it once several dealers have quoted; to read one quote line by line, use check_quote. Returns the ranking and a planner link with the quotes filled in.
dealer_emailread-onlyDrafts an email to a dealer or lender from one of six Before the Lot templates: request an itemized out-the-door quote, make an offer, share a competing quote, confirm the deal, decline, or give a lender the deal's numbers. Returns a subject and body for the person to review and send from their own inbox; nothing is sent. Details are numbers and short labels; contact details are refused, and an offer over the walk line given isn't drafted.
desk_scriptread-onlyA short line a buyer can say at a moment in the dealership's sales or finance office, such as being asked for a monthly payment, a credit check before a price, or a pitch for an add-on, with when it applies and why it works. Use it when someone describes what's happening at the desk. Pass a script id (monthly-payment, trade-first, down-payment, credit-check, numbers-changed, preinstalled-add-ons, initial-worksheet, decide-today, beat-my-rate, fi-product, only-a-month, paint-or-markup, below-invoice, trade-below-offer, leaving) or a short description; returns the one or two lines that fit, or the list of situations on file when none does.
get_methodread-onlyThe Before the Lot method for buying a car: an overview and its seven stages, from setting the budget at home to signing. Each stage says what to collect, what it produces, which guides, tools and email templates apply, and when it's done. Use it to plan a purchase step by step or to see where a step fits; pass a stage id for that stage alone. Returns text with a link to the method's page.
lease_checkread-onlyWorks a lease quote from the MSRP, selling price, residual and money factor (or the lease's APR): the depreciation and rent charges, the monthly payment with the state's lease tax, the money factor as an APR, and the total cost, including any tax charged once at the start (Texas, Ohio and others). With a loan APR and term, it also compares leasing with buying the same car over the lease's months. Use it to check a lease offer's numbers; for buying, use out_the_door.
loan_paymentread-onlyThe monthly payment, total interest and total paid on a car loan from the amount financed, APR and term, with what a term over 60 months adds in interest compared with 60. Use it for a loan on its own; out_the_door works the payment from a car price, and refinance_check compares a new loan with an existing one.
offers_pageread-onlyThe address of a car maker's own page of current offers (rebates, special APRs, lease deals), and of a model's page where one can be built, with whether the maker lists national offers at all and when the address was checked. Use it to point someone to the maker's official offers before comparing a rebate with a special APR (rebate_vs_apr). Returns links only, not the offers themselves, which change often and can vary by region.
out_the_doorread-onlyItemizes the out-the-door price of a car from its selling price: rebates, doc fee, add-ons, sales tax with the state's rules and, given a city or county, its local rate (7,000+ places in 23 states), and title and registration. Optionally adds a trade-in (and the tax it saves where the state credits it), a down payment and a loan payment, and compares the doc fee with the state's cap and the total with a walk line. Use it for the total cost of a price; for a dealer's quote, use check_quote. Returns each line, the total and a planner link.
payoff_planread-onlyA payoff plan for a car loan, for paying it off early with an extra payment each month: the months and total interest at the regular payment, and with an extra amount toward principal each month (optionally for only the first so many months, or skipping some), with the months and interest the extra saves and the payoff month each way. Give the balance, the APR, and the months left or the regular payment. Lenders differ in how they apply extra payments, and some charge a prepayment penalty.
plan_linkread-onlyBuilds a link to the free Before the Lot planner that opens with the numbers given already filled in, so the person can carry on in the web planner with their trade-in, loan, budget and quotes. Use it after working out numbers in the chat. The plan travels in the link itself, so nothing is stored. Numbers and short labels only; names, phone numbers and emails are refused.
rebate_vs_aprread-onlyCompares a maker's cash rebate taken with the person's own loan against the maker's special APR (with any cash that combines with it): each side's payment, interest and total, the difference, the own-loan rate where the two cost the same, and the sales tax a rebate saves in states that tax the price after it. Give the amount financed before the rebate, or a vehicle price to work it out.
refinance_checkread-onlyCompares a car loan as it stands with a new loan at a quoted rate, by default over the same months left so a lower payment cannot hide a longer loan, with any fees counted: the new payment, the monthly difference and the total interest saved or added.
state_rulesread-onlyA state's car-buying rules: the dealer doc-fee cap or rule, sales tax (state rate, local add-on range, any cap), whether a trade-in lowers the taxed price, how a maker's rebate is taxed, and cancellation rights where on file. Each comes with its source, as-of date and confidence, plus the link to the state's page. Use it for the rules themselves; for a price with a city's local tax, use out_the_door.
trade_in_positionread-onlySizes up a trade-in from written offers (CarMax, Carvana, dealers) and what's still owed: the best offer still open, which is the floor a dealer's trade number is compared with, the equity or negative equity, and, with a state and vehicle price, the sales tax the trade saves where the state credits it. Use it before visiting dealers; check_quote compares a quote's trade allowance with these offers.
what_can_i_affordread-onlyWorks out a car budget from the monthly payment someone is comfortable with: the most that can be financed, the highest out-the-door price after the trade-in tax credit, that ceiling as dealers quote it (before the credit), and the vehicle price it leaves after the state's tax and typical fees. With a fair price from research, it also gives an opening offer and a walk line. Use it before shopping, when the starting point is a payment rather than a price. Numbers only; nothing is stored.

Schemas: list_tools.

Similar MCP servers

Official server.json
{
  "name": "com.beforethelot/before-the-lot",
  "title": "Before the Lot",
  "$schema": "https://static.modelcontextprotocol.io/schemas/2025-12-11/server.schema.json",
  "remotes": [
    {
      "url": "https://beforethelot.com/mcp",
      "type": "streamable-http"
    }
  ],
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "websiteUrl": "https://beforethelot.com",
  "description": "Car-buying math and state rules: out-the-door prices, quote checks, leases and trade-ins"
}