James Van Der Beek Bought a $4.7m Texas Ranch Just One Month Before Death

James Van Der Beek made a major move to secure his family’s future just weeks before his passing. The actor, who died on February 11 after battling stage 3 colorectal cancer, finalized the purchase of a Texas ranch where he and his family had been living.

According to property records, the deal closed on January 9 for $4.76 million, turning their long-term rental into a permanent home for his wife, Kimberly, and their six children. The 36-acre estate is in Spicewood, just outside Austin, along the scenic Pedernales River.

The main house covers more than 5,000 square feet and includes five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property also has guest cabins and a private tram leading to the river, reflecting the relaxed, hippie cowboy lifestyle Van Der Beek embraced after leaving Los Angeles in 2020.

Despite the significant purchase, the family faced financial strain due to the high costs of Van Der Beek’s medical care. A GoFundMe started by close friends after his death revealed the family had used up their savings during his two-year battle with cancer.

The fundraiser has raised over $2.5 million to help Kimberly and the children stay in their home and cover living expenses. Van Der Beek was open about the challenges he faced during his illness.

He once said, I am worthy of love simply because I exist. He even auctioned off iconic items from his acting career, including memorabilia from Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues, to help cover treatment costs.

Although he stepped back from many projects during his illness, Van Der Beek continued to work when he could. He voiced characters in the animated series Vampirina and was working on a personal memoir about his life, fatherhood, and career. His last on-screen appearance was a video cameo for a charity event where he promoted cancer awareness and early screening.

James Van Der Beek is best remembered for his role as Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek, but he also starred in films like The Rules of Attraction and Varsity Blues, where he played a high school quarterback in a small Texas town—the same kind of town where he would later settle in real life. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their children Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.

The ranch now stands as a lasting legacy, a sanctuary where his family can connect with nature and find the quiet peace he valued in his final years. Tributes have poured in from Hollywood colleagues, including Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson, who remembered him as a man of deep kindness and integrity.

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