General Discussion

Actor James Van Der Beek purchased the sprawling Texas ranch that he and his family began renting in 2020, just one month before he died at the age of 48, following a battle with colorectal cancer.

The "Dawson's Creek" star and his wife, Kimberly, moved to the picturesque 36-acre property, which is located in Spicewood, just outside of Austin, in 2020, when they relocated their family from Beverly Hills, CA, to the Lone Star State in a bid to give their children more opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature.

At the time, the couple chose to lease the lush ranch property, with Kimberly previously revealing that they had wanted to test out life in Texas before committing to laying down permanent roots in the area.

However, James and Kimberly quickly fell in love with the property—as did their six children—and it was on the ranch where the "Varsity Blues" star began treatment for cancer, which he revealed he had been diagnosed with in 2024.

Property records now show that James and Kimberly officially purchased the ranch for $4.76 million on Jan. 9, just over a month before the actor died.

https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/james-van-der-beek-texas-spicewood-ranch-sale-kids-wife/

Prior to his death, James Van Der Beek secured a down payment for the Texas ranch that he and his family had previously been renting.

His representative tells PEOPLE that before the actor died at age 48 on Feb. 11 following a journey with stage 3 colorectal cancer, the Dawson's Creek alum secured a down payment on the Austin ranch where he had been residing with his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their six children.

“James secured down payment for the Texas ranch for the family with the help of friends through a trust so they could shift from rent to mortgage,” the rep tells PEOPLE.

https://people.com/james-van-der-beek-secured-down-payment-for-familys-texas-ranch-before-death-11906987