Nearly Half of All Mortgaged Homeowners Feel Stuck

here's why your equity changes that conversation

If you own a home in Peachtree City, Fayette County, or Coweta County and have had your mortgage for more than a few years, there is a real chance you owe less than half of what your home is currently worth. That equity position changes your options in ways most homeowners have not fully thought through — especially if you have been assuming that higher rates mean you are stuck where you are.

home & property

may 17, 2026

The Short answer

New data from ATTOM's Q1 2026 Home Equity and Underwater Report shows that 43.3% of all mortgaged homes across the country are equity rich right now. That means nearly half of all homeowners with a mortgage owe less than 50% of what their home is currently worth.

At the same time, a separate survey from Point found that 48% of homeowners say they are not planning to move this year, and most of them cite mortgage rate lock-in as the reason. They locked in a rate at 3% a few years ago, they are looking at rates sitting around 6.42% today, and the math feels impossible.

What that rate calculation almost never accounts for is equity. And for homeowners across South Atlanta who have been in their homes for any meaningful length of time, that equity changes the conversation significantly.

what does "equity rich" actually mean?

Equity rich means you owe less than 50% of what your home is currently worth.

If your home is worth $600,000 and your remaining mortgage balance is $280,000, you are equity rich. You have more than half the home's value sitting on your side of the ledger. That is not just a number on paper — it is a down payment, a negotiating position, and in some cases, a path to your next home that looks very different from what most people assume.

Even at its current level, which ATTOM notes is the lowest since Q4 2021, nearly half of all mortgaged homeowners in the country are in this position. In markets like South Atlanta where home values have appreciated meaningfully over the past several years, the local picture is worth understanding specifically.


The rate lock-in effect is real. If you secured a mortgage at 3% a few years ago and you are now looking at 30-year rates near 6.42%, trading your current payment for one that is nearly double is a genuinely difficult calculation. No one would blame you for hesitating.

With no Fed rate cuts expected until late 2027 according to current projections, that gap is not closing quickly. So the instinct to stay put makes sense on the surface. The problem is that most homeowners are running the rate math without running the equity math alongside it. Those two numbers together tell a very different story than either one alone.

When you are equity rich, you are not approaching your next purchase the way you approached your first one. A larger equity position means a larger down payment on the next home. A larger down payment means a smaller loan. A smaller loan means your monthly payment at today's rates may not be as painful as the headline rate number suggests.

Depending on how much equity you have built in your Peachtree City or Fayette County home, your options might include putting a significantly larger down payment on your next home and softening the rate impact, using a HELOC to access equity without selling, selling and renting temporarily while you wait for rates or prices to move, or in some cases buying your next home outright with no mortgage at all.

Most homeowners run the rate calculation without accounting for what their equity actually does to that number. The monthly payment picture looks very different when you are bringing 50% or more to the table.

why do so many homeowners feel locked in place right now

That depends on your equity position, your goals, and what your next move looks like, not on rates alone.

A lot of homeowners in South Atlanta are making decisions based on the market from two or three years ago. 

Yes, rates are higher. But home values are also meaningfully different, and for many sellers, the equity they have built changes the calculation more than they realize.

You may still decide staying put is the right move. Many people are, and that can absolutely be the right call. But it is worth understanding your actual position before assuming you do not have options. The homeowners making the best decisions right now are not guessing. They know their numbers.

how does your equity actually change the math in buying again?

should I sell my home in peachtree city right now or wait?

Yes. A HELOC — home equity line of credit — allows you to borrow against your equity while staying in your home. It is not the right tool for every situation, but for homeowners who want to access cash for improvements, investments, or other goals without selling, it is worth understanding. A lender familiar with the South Atlanta market can walk you through what you would qualify for based on your current equity position.

can i access my home equity without selling?

Not necessarily. It means you have options — and that is different from having an obligation. Some homeowners use their equity to move up into a larger home. Others access it through a HELOC without selling at all. Some decide staying put is still the right call, but they make that decision with full information rather than an assumption. Knowing your equity position gives you the ability to choose deliberately instead of defaulting to whatever feels safest.

does being equity rich mean i should sell?

The starting point is knowing what your home is worth today, not what you paid for it, and not what Zillow says. A current comparative market analysis based on recent sales in your specific neighborhood gives you a real number. Once you have that alongside your current mortgage balance, the equity picture becomes clear. In my nine years working across Peachtree City, Fayette County, and Coweta County, I have had this conversation with a lot of homeowners who were genuinely surprised by where they stood.

how do i find out if i'm equity rich?

Frequently asked questions