MESA, Arizona — Karl Peterson has been living the cruel inverse of the American dream. His rent keeps getting higher, but his apartments keep getting smaller.
Peterson left the Midwest nine years ago for the epicenter of an economic boom, only to gradually learn that endless sunshine and desert views are increasingly among the few bargains left in Arizona. Peterson married his wife, Tani, and they struggled to save for a home, moving through four apartments as their rent nearly tripled from $625 to $1,800 a month.