Lenders' tight underwriting standards have been blamed for sidelining many potential home buyers the last few years. But lenders may be showing signs of loosening up a bit. 

The average down payment on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell 2.74 percent from the second quarter to 15.73 percent of the home’s value in the third quarter, according to a new report from LendingTree. 

"Lenders are putting more focus on purchase mortgages and are adjusting minimum requirements to attract borrowers," says Doug Lebda, LendingTree founder and CEO. "With home values improving, the risk of borrowers defaulting on loans has decreased, giving lenders more confidence to lend with less cash down from qualified borrowers."

According to LendingTree, the states with the highest home values are also where down payments remain the highest percentages of the property price. 

The states with the highest down payments are: 

• New Jersey: 18.8%
• California: 18.6%
• New York: 18%
• Washington, D.C.: 17.9%
• Massachusetts: 17.5%

Meanwhile, the states with the lowest average down payment in the third quarter were: 

• Nebraska: 12.5%
• South Dakota 12.8%
• Arkansas 12.9%
• Alabama: 12.9%
• Missouri: 13.1%

Source: Credit.com