New home sales in the Denver metro area fell by 33 percent in the first half of the year, compared with the six months of 2006, according to a report released today.

The report by the Genesis Group shows there were 5,842 production home sales in the metro area in the first six months, compared with 8,758 during the same time period in 2006.

This is the largest percentage drop in sales since the 1980s, when the economy was hit by a crash in energy prices, said Mike Rinner, of the Genesis Group, which tracks the housing market across the Front Range.

The report also shows that the supply of unsold new homes is growing.

There were 3,632 new homes in inventory at the end of the second quarter, up 3.8 percent from a year earlier.

rebchookj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5207