Apparently, sex doesn’t always sell. Hillsborough-based Adam & Eve posted mixed results for the second quarter, with sales down 4 percent at mid-year. Year-to-date profits, however, are up 22 percent. That’s been driven primarily by reductions in print/catalog production and better efficiencies from web and email marketing.

“We have also increased profits through more efficient search engine marketing and growth in our affiliate program,” according to Chad Davis, marketing director, in a news release.

The 40-year-old company has more than 10 million satisfied customers, making it largest adult superstore in the nation.

Yesterday’s report from the U.S. Commerce Department was a mix of good and bad.

On the upside, sales of new single-family homes increased 11 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 384,000 units. This marks the third consecutive month that sales have gone up, meaning people are getting back into the market. However, the pace of sales still lagged mid-year 2008 by more than 21 percent.

Newly-built inventory – the number of new properties on the market – dropped for the 26th consecutive, dipping 4.1 percent to 281,000 units. This means there’s about an 8.8-month supply at the current sales pace. Lower inventory is a positive development because it shows that homes are being sold somewhat faster than they’re being built.

New-home sales rose by double-digits in the Northeast (29.2 percent), Midwest (43.1 percent), and West (22.6 percent) in June. But here in the South, the skies weren’t so blue. Sales declined 5.3 percent across the region, the country’s largest housing market. Figures for North Carolina and the Triangle are not yet available.

Looking for ways to start or expand your business? Grant funding may be the way to do it. Find out a three-part grants workshop sponsored by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development and the Small Business Technology Development Center. The program will provide entrepreneurs from various industry sectors with the relevant knowledge and resources needed to attract grant funding in today’s tough business environment. 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Thursday, August 20; Thursday, September 10; and Thursday, September 24 at the CED Entrepreneurship Center, 100 Capitola Dr, Ste. 106, Durham. More information and registration form are available at www.ced.org.

Must of us have used Zillow to check the values of our home (and, admit it, your friends’ and neighbors’, too). But you might not know that the Seattle-based site also keeps tabs on mortgage rates. And its latest report shows that average mortgage rates in North Carolina are on the rise. Just last week, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 5.29 percent. As of today, it’s up 14 basis points to 5.43 percent. That’s above the national average of 5.31 percent.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the National Postdoctoral Association announced today that nominations have opened for the Outstanding Postdoctoral Entrepreneur Award. The prize recognizes a researcher who has successfully brought his or her discovery to market. Nominees must have completed postdoctoral training in the United States and founded companies to commercialize their scientific discoveries. Full eligibility requirements for the award are available at kauffman.org. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 2, 2009. The winner of the award, which includes a $10,000 honorarium, will be announced at the NPA’s annual meeting next March. kauffman.org

Chapel Hill-based TSI Healthcare announced a partnership with RealMed Corporation to deliver RealMed EDI Revenue Management Services to TSI clients. Indianapolis-based RealMed will provide services including online ECS claims filing, editing and “scrubbing”, ERA (Electronic Remittance Advice) and integrated OEV (Online Eligibility Verification). For its part, TSI Healthcare will introduce an estimated 500 providers to RealMed services within a year.

How are the folks in Raleigh affecting your business? Find out at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber’s Fourth Annual State Legislative Briefing, from 8-9:30 a.m., on Tuesday, August 11 at the Carolina Inn. Local legislators, including Rep. Verla Insko, Sen. Ellie Kinnard and Speaker of the House Joe Hackney are expected to attend. Registration required. $30 for Chamber members, $40 for non-members. Contact Whitney Woodyard at 357.9980 or wwoodyard@carolinachamber.org.

Leadership Triangle seeks candidates for its Personal Leadership Program, designed to help participants develop skills by matching them with nationally recognized leadership coaches and introducing them to top Triangle leaders. Each member of the 20-person class works with a leadership coach and in small groups for two hours at twice monthly meetings in Raleigh’s RBC Center. Individuals will focus on a personal project, role in an organization, or situation that requires “gaining willing followers”. The course costs $1,700 per person. Register by August 21 and receive a $150 early bird discount. For more information, go to leadershiptriangle.com http://leadershiptriangle.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=29&Itemid=39

The Chronicle of Higher Education acknowledged the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For”. UNC was lauded in four categories:

The University was among more than 240 four- and two-year colleges and universities enrolled in the Chronicle’s program. Results are based on responses from nearly 41,000 administrators, faculty members and staff members.

Chapel Hill-based Merscom and New York-based companies Lifetime Digital and Roiworld.com released Create-A-Mall, a downloadable game that allows players to are challenged to become top-flight mall developers in six different cities throughout the world. It’s the first game that allows players to use the money they’ve earned to buy jewelry, clothing or office decorations. Create-A-Mall is available for the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $19.99, but will be offered at a special promotion rate of $9.99 on both Roiworld.com and myLifetime.com.