The lowest mortgage delinquency rates in the nation next year should be in Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota.

Credit reporting agency TransUnion predicts all three of those states will have much lower delinquency rates than the national rate of 6.39 percent.

Delinquency of 60 days or more is considered a precursor to foreclosure, because of the difficulty homeowners would have coming up with two back payments to bring themselves current.

North Dakota’s delinquency rate should be 1.43 percent. South Dakota’s will be about 2.2 percent. Nebraska’s will be about 2.35 percent.