How James Van Der Beek Transformed 36-Acre Texas Ranch Into Family’s Sanctuary After Quitting L.A.

"Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek died at the age of 48 after a yearslong battle with colorectal cancer—having spent his final days surrounded by loved ones at his 36-acre Texas ranch, having turned the property into a sanctuary for his family after leaving Los Angeles in 2020.

The famed actor revealed at the end of 2024 that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and that he was undergoing treatment at his family's sprawling ranch on the outskirts of Austin, TX.

When Van Der Beek first shared the news of his cancer, he shared a series of images of himself at his home on Instagram, while opening up about how it had impacted his family—and the heartbreaking moment his doctor first revealed the gut-wrenching diagnosis.

The actor began his Instagram post simply by writing the phrase that he was told by his doctor: "It is cancer..."

He went on to note that he was one of around 2 billion people who receive this devastating diagnosis each year, explaining that he felt forced to rush his announcement because he had learned a tabloid was planning to publish the news about his cancer.

"There’s no playbook for how announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms," he wrote in the caption. "But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.

"I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.

"Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.

"Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support."

The actor's diagnosis came 26 years after he first shot to fame while starring as the titular character in the hit series "Dawson's Creek," which ran from 1998 until 2003. Following the end of his career-making show, James went on to star in a variety of other series, including "Varsity Blues" and "CSI: Cyber."

He played a fictionalized version of himself in the show "Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23."

However, while James' Hollywood career continued to flourish, the actor turned his back on the traditional A-lister lifestyle, eschewing the trappings of Los Angeles fame in favor of pursuing a quieter life on a ranch in Texas.

Why the Van Der Beeks left Los Angeles for Austin

James and Kimberly traded their spread in Beverly Hills for a property in the Hill Country of Texas back in 2020, investing in a sprawling ranch property in Spicewood, TX, a rural town outside of Austin where they would have more than enough room to raise their brood of six kids.

Set on 36 acres, the spread is "more expansive" than their L.A. home and cheaper, to boot, with Kimberly revealing at the time of the move that their enormous home cost less than the amount they were paying to live in California: "I'll tell you a secret: This cost less than it cost to live in Beverly Hills."

Their wooded property includes a main house, several cabins, a pool, and a backyard with views of the Pedernales River.

“The space available in Texas … where we’re at, it’s expansive and there’s a lot of space and I feel that for a big family … it was just really, really necessary for us,” Kimberly said in an Instagram Live session.

Designing a sustainable Texas compound

The 5,149-square-foot home the Van Der Beeks moved into features five bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The main house comes with a commercial kitchen, balconies with sky and river views, an outdoor living space with a pool, and a tram to the river. The grounds include a barn perfect for throwing a party.

The waterfront residence is a place to “channel your ‘hippie cowboy,’” notes an old listing. At the time Kimberly had mentioned that they had not yet purchased a property, but instead planned to lease first before deciding if they want to buy in the Lone Star state.

"We're going to try Texas out for a year and really give a lot of love to this property," she said on Instagram Live, according to a story from People at the time.

The "compound," as she called it, had plenty of room for their family, plus room for guests.

She also praised their landlords, revealing how supportive they had been in helping the family to settle into the home.

"We have incredible landlords, they're magical, so they're really letting us dip into it and really steward the land as if it's our own and go wild with it. Which is really cool," she said.

What happened to the Van Der Beeks' Beverly Hills home?

The couple put up their Beverly Hills, CA, home to rent for $12,000 a month before they left for Texas. The two-story Mediterranean, which they had recently redone, was featured in Architectural Digest.

The four-bedroom abode includes 3,134 square feet of living space. The floor plan offers a chef’s kitchen and an oversized living room. And the backyard comes with a guesthouse, wood deck, pool, spa, and built-in barbecue.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, they shared that the home had just gotten a top-to-bottom refresh when the pandemic hit. Then, the couple weathered a series of professional and personal crises, including the loss of Van Der Beek’s mother, a health scare (Kimberly this time), and a business deal gone sour.

After months of sheltering in place, they seemed eager to move not just out of the house—but out of the state.

"Sometimes a fuller life begins with an empty house," Kimberly posted on Instagram in September 2020. "Leaving Los Angeles incredibly grateful for all the friends and memories we’ve made here. Onto the next big adventure!"