Bought a House After Cancer Diagnosis: Why I Chose to Build a Future
- Deborah Ann Martin
- 1 day ago
- 17 min read
Why I Bought a House After Cancer Diagnosis and Chose to Build a Future
I bought a house after cancer diagnosis because I wanted to make a choice that was about the future, not just about the illness.
I had undergone two surgeries, chemotherapy, severe anemia, a blood transfusion, hair loss, exhaustion, and more medical appointments than I could count. I had also read the statistics about Stage IV uterine leiomyosarcoma, and some of those numbers made it difficult to imagine what my future might look like.
Then, less than a year later, I was buying a house.
Some people might have wondered why a woman with Stage IV cancer would take on a mortgage.
I looked at it differently.
I was still alive.
I was still working.
My first PET scan showed no evidence of disease, or NED.
My family needed stability.
I did not know how long I would live, but I decided I was going to plan as though I had a future.
Finishing Treatment Did Not End the Chaos
I finished my initial cancer treatments around March.
I wish I could say life became calm after that.
Instead, another crisis arrived almost immediately.
We were living in a rented duplex in West Virginia. The rent had been approximately $700 a month, and we were renting month to month.
Then I was told that beginning May 1, the rent would increase to approximately $1,200 a month.
That was a $500 monthly increase.
From my point of view, it felt like a way of forcing us to leave.
There had already been tension involving my son's emotional support dog. My son Austin had also stayed at the duplex for a period while helping me, and the owners treated his presence as though another person had moved into the home.
I had just made it through Stage IV cancer treatment.
Now I needed to find somewhere else to live.
I Had Just Survived Cancer Treatment. Now I Had to Figure Out Where to Live
Cancer does not put everyday life on hold.
The bills still come.
Rent still comes due.
Children still need help.
Dogs still need homes.
People still have to work.
Cars still need repairs.
And sometimes, while you are trying to recover from surgery and chemotherapy, your housing situation changes underneath you.
That is what happened to me.
I wasn't sitting around wondering what I wanted to do with my life.
I was trying to figure out where my family was going to live.
The $1,200 rent changed the calculation for me.
If I was going to pay that much every month, I started wondering whether that money could instead go toward a house.
I knew buying a home would come with its own expenses and responsibilities.
But at least I would be building something that belonged to me.
Cancer Patients Still Have Housing Problems
A cancer diagnosis does not protect someone from rent increases, housing disputes, moving costs, or the possibility of losing a home.
In fact, cancer can make those problems harder to solve.
A person may be dealing with:
Reduced work hours
Medical bills
Prescription costs
Transportation expenses
Insurance deductibles
Physical limitations
Fatigue
Fear about future income
Continuing medical appointments
Uncertainty about long-term health
The National Cancer Institute describes financial toxicity as financial problems and distress related to the cost of cancer care. Cancer can affect both household finances and the ability to work, and financial hardship can extend to necessities such as housing.
I had already spent a significant amount of money dealing with cancer.
Now housing had become another financial decision that could not wait.
For $1,200 a Month, I Started Considering Buying
When the rent increased to $1,200, I began thinking about what that amount might pay toward a home of my own.
Rent and a mortgage payment are not the same thing.
Owning a house means property taxes, homeowners insurance, maintenance, repairs, and unexpected expenses.
I understood that.
But we were already facing an unstable month-to-month rental situation.
And I had another reason to want stability.
My two younger sons had emotional support dogs.
The housing dispute had shown me how quickly a dog could become part of a housing crisis.
I wanted my sons to have somewhere they and their dogs could stay without having to worry about whether a landlord would suddenly change the rules.
Telework Changed What Was Possible
COVID had changed my work situation.
My company indicated that our work would remain remote permanently.
That meant I could live almost anywhere as long as I had reliable internet.
For the first time, my job was not tying me to one specific office location.
That gave me choices.
I could remain in West Virginia.
I could return to Virginia.
I could consider where my children lived.
I could think about medical care, transportation, affordability, and long-term independence.
Cancer had changed the way I looked at all of those things.
I Asked My Children What They Wanted
My two youngest sons had moved with me from Virginia to West Virginia.
I had uprooted them after my divorce.
When the housing problem appeared, both told me they wanted to return to Virginia.
Their feelings mattered to me.
At the same time, my oldest son gave me an important reminder.
He was beginning nursing school, and he did not expect West Virginia to be his permanent home.
He told me that he and the others might eventually move somewhere else.
He said I needed to make the decision based on what was best for me.
That stayed with me.
My children were becoming adults.
They might live nearby today and somewhere else tomorrow.
I needed to make a decision that would work even if eventually I was living alone.
My Daughter and Grandchildren Were in Virginia
My daughter and grandchildren were in Virginia.
Being closer to them was another reason I wanted to return.
Cancer had made family time feel different.
I could no longer assume there would always be another year, another holiday, or another convenient time to visit.
I wanted to be closer to my grandchildren.
I also wanted to be closer to the medical systems and doctors available to me in Virginia.
The decision wasn't about one thing.
It was about trying to build a life that made sense after everything that had happened.
Medical Access Became Part of Home Buying
Before cancer, I might have chosen a house based mainly on price, neighborhood, commute, or the size of the kitchen.
After cancer, my list was different.
I needed to think about:
Distance to an oncology center
Access to hospitals
Specialists
Pharmacies
Transportation
Accessibility
Internet service
Distance from family
Whether I could physically maintain the home
What would happen if I eventually stopped driving
A beautiful house would not help me if I couldn't get to my medical appointments.
A cheaper house would not necessarily be a bargain if it left me isolated from medical care.
NCI also recognizes transportation and other nonmedical expenses as part of the broader financial burden of cancer care.
Public Transportation Mattered
I considered the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
One advantage was public transportation.
At that time, I could still drive myself.
But cancer had taught me not to assume I would always be able to.
What if I became too sick to drive?
What if I had surgery?
What if I needed treatment?
What if my children were working and couldn't take me?
I wanted another option.
Living somewhere with transportation available gave me another layer of independence.
The best location wasn't simply where my children could help me.
It was somewhere I could still function if they couldn't.
I Was Planning for the Sick Version of Me Too
When healthy people plan for the future, they often picture themselves healthy.
Cancer made me think differently.
I had to ask:
What if I become weak again?
What if the cancer returns?
What if I cannot drive?
What if I need regular treatment?
What if I need a walker or another mobility aid?
What if my children cannot be there every day?
Planning for those possibilities wasn't negative thinking.
It was responsible thinking.
I wanted a home that could work for the healthy version of me and the version of me who might someday need more help.
My Sons and Their Dogs Needed Stability Too
Both of my younger sons had emotional support dogs.
The dispute at the duplex had made one thing very clear to me:
Housing stability matters.
I wanted my sons to have a home where they and their dogs would be welcome.
They were becoming adults and building lives of their own.
But I wanted them to know they had somewhere to come back to if something went wrong.
The house would belong to me.
Emotionally, it would also become a family landing place.
After divorce, moving, family stress, cancer, and uncertainty, that permanence mattered.
Buying a House Meant Believing I Would Be There
There is something powerful about buying a house.
You choose a place where you expect to wake up in the future.
You think about where the furniture will go.
You imagine holidays.
You think about repairs, gardens, visitors, ordinary mornings, and the little things that have nothing to do with cancer.
You sign papers based on the belief that there will be more months and years ahead.
That was complicated for me.
I had Stage IV cancer.
I knew recurrence was possible.
I had read statistics that could make a person afraid to plan anything long term.
Part of me wondered whether it was foolish to take on a mortgage.
Another part of me thought:
Why should cancer be allowed to make every decision for me?
I Chose the Good Side of the Statistics
Early in my cancer journey, my doctor would not give me a specific promise about how long I would live.
He reminded me that statistics describe groups of people.
They do not tell one individual exactly what will happen.
I didn't know which side of the statistics I would be on.
Buying a house was one way I chose to live as though I might be on the better side.
That did not mean I was denying reality.
I understood my diagnosis.
I knew Stage IV cancer was serious.
I had prepared my family.
I had thought about what could happen.
But I could prepare for death and still plan for life.
Those two things are not opposites.
Mortgage Rates Were Historically Low
The timing also mattered financially.
Mortgage rates were unusually low during the pandemic. Freddie Mac reported that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was about 2.9% during the first half of 2021, while home prices were also rising rapidly.
I remembered rates being around 2% during that period.
The exact rate available to an individual buyer depends on factors such as credit, loan type, down payment, points, location, and the day the loan is locked.
But the broader mortgage market really was unusually favorable for borrowers at that time.
That made buying something I could realistically consider.
It also meant the housing market was extremely competitive.
Everyone Seemed to Be Buying
Low mortgage rates helped buyers afford more, but they also contributed to intense competition.
Homes could receive multiple offers.
Buyers sometimes had to make decisions quickly.
Inspectors, appraisers, contractors, lenders, and closing companies were busy.
I was entering that process while recovering from cancer treatment.
It was not relaxing.
Between May and July, everything happened very quickly.
I had to:
Search for houses
Review my finances
Work with a lender
Submit documents
Make an offer
Arrange an inspection
Address moisture concerns
Complete paperwork
Plan an interstate move
Continue working
Continue medical follow-up
I was trying to build a future while still dealing with the aftermath of cancer.
I Still Had to Qualify Like Anyone Else
Having cancer did not make the normal home-buying requirements disappear.
I still needed to show that I could afford the property.
The lender needed financial records.
The property needed to meet requirements.
There were inspections, contracts, deadlines, paperwork, and decisions.
Being sick did not make those steps disappear.
At the same time, I had to be realistic.
A low interest rate did not mean I should buy more house than I could afford.
I needed a payment that worked with my income and the possibility of future medical expenses.
Homeownership Creates Its Own Risks
I don't want this story to sound like buying a house is automatically the right answer for someone with cancer.
It isn't.
Homeownership creates responsibilities.
A homeowner may eventually have to pay for:
Roof repairs
Heating and air-conditioning failures
Plumbing
Moisture problems
Pest control
Appliances
Landscaping
Property taxes
Insurance
Accessibility modifications
Emergency repairs
A person dealing with cancer should not buy a house simply to prove that cancer hasn't won.
For me, the decision made sense because of my work, finances, family situation, location, medical needs, and the circumstances of the housing market at that time.
Another person might make a completely different decision.
Everything Began Falling Into Place
The buying process required an inspection and moisture-control work.
Many service providers were backed up.
Still, the pieces began coming together.
The moisture-control company was already scheduled to work nearby and was able to add my house to the work they were doing.
Appointments became available.
People returned calls.
Documents moved.
The inspection and other steps were completed.
I don't believe every stressful process works out perfectly just because someone has faith.
That certainly hasn't been my experience with every part of life.
But during this particular purchase, I felt as though God kept opening the next door.
Faith Did Not Remove the Stress
I prayed through the process.
I also worried.
Faith did not mean I completed the purchase without fear.
There were moments when I wondered whether everything would fall apart.
I was still recovering.
The housing market was competitive.
The timeline was short.
I was making a decision that affected my finances, health, children, and future.
Faith helped me continue through the stress.
It didn't make the paperwork disappear.
I still had to do the work.
By July 2, I Had Bought a House
By July 2, I had completed the buying process.
Over the July Fourth weekend, I moved into my home.
Only about a year earlier, I had been facing Stage IV cancer and wondering whether I would survive.
Now I was carrying boxes into a house I owned.
The contrast was almost difficult to understand.
I had spent months preparing for the possibility that I might die.
Now I was creating a place to live.
The House Was More Than Property
The house represented:
Stability
Independence
Access to medical care
Being closer to my daughter and grandchildren
A home for my sons if they needed one
Security for their emotional support dogs
Freedom from a month-to-month rental
A future I could continue building
It wasn't a mansion.
It didn't remove every financial concern.
It didn't guarantee that my cancer would never return.
It gave me something solid after a period when almost everything had felt uncertain.
Cancer Can Make You Afraid to Plan
After a serious diagnosis, people may hesitate to make long-term plans.
They may wonder:
Should I buy a home?
Should I begin a degree?
Should I change jobs?
Should I travel?
Should I start a relationship?
Should I publish a book?
What if I don't live long enough?
Those are understandable questions.
No one should make a major financial decision without considering medical reality and financial risk.
But avoiding every dream is also a decision.
Cancer may already take away health, time, income, and peace.
It does not automatically deserve every plan for the future too.
Housing Is Part of Cancer Survivorship
Housing is sometimes treated as though it has nothing to do with cancer.
It does.
A person needs somewhere safe to recover.
A person needs somewhere to store medications.
A person may need room for mobility equipment.
A person may need to be near treatment.
A caregiver may need somewhere to stay.
Transportation may determine whether someone can reliably get to appointments.
NCI has specifically identified stable housing, transportation, and other social needs as important issues for people with cancer. Housing problems can create barriers to screening and treatment.
For me, buying a home was not separate from cancer.
Cancer was one of the reasons I thought so carefully about where that home needed to be.
Financial Toxicity Does Not Always Look Like a Medical Bill
When people hear "financial toxicity," they may think about chemotherapy bills or prescription copays.
Those are certainly part of it.
But cancer can affect the entire household budget.
It can affect:
Income
Housing
Transportation
Childcare
Food
Insurance
Savings
Debt
Ability to work
Ability to maintain a home
NCI notes that cancer-related financial hardship can include trouble paying for necessities such as housing and can continue long after the initial diagnosis.
That was important for me to understand.
I wasn't making a housing decision in a vacuum.
I was making it after a major medical event that had changed my financial and family life.
I Had to Think About Transportation Too
Cancer care isn't always close to home.
There may be appointments with oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, laboratories, infusion centers, imaging centers, and other specialists.
There may also be unexpected trips.
For someone who can drive, transportation can seem like a minor issue.
Until suddenly you can't drive.
I wanted to live somewhere where I had alternatives.
That mattered to me because independence wasn't just about owning my own house.
It was about being able to function if my health changed.
I Wasn't Buying a House Because I Knew I Would Live Forever
I want to be very clear about this.
I didn't buy the house because I knew my cancer would never return.
I didn't have that guarantee.
I didn't buy it because I thought Stage IV cancer was no longer serious.
I bought it because I was alive, I was working, I had an opportunity, and I wanted to build something with the life I had.
There is a difference.
Do Not Build Your Entire Future Around Adult Children
My children helped me think through the move.
Their needs mattered.
But my oldest son was right when he reminded me that adult children build lives of their own.
They may move for:
Education
Employment
Marriage
Military service
Lower housing costs
Personal goals
A parent can choose to live near adult children while still asking:
What happens if they move?
I wanted to be close to my family.
I also wanted to know I could live there independently.
That distinction mattered.
Questions I Asked Myself Before Moving
Medical Questions
Where is the nearest cancer center?
Can my doctors transfer records?
Are specialists available for my cancer?
Will changing states affect my insurance?
Will I need new referrals?
Can I fill my prescriptions locally?
How far away is emergency care?
What transportation is available if I can't drive?
Financial Questions
What payment can I afford?
What happens if my income changes?
Do I have money for repairs?
What are the taxes and insurance costs?
Will the house need immediate work?
Can I afford accessibility changes?
What will moving cost?
Would renting actually be safer financially?
Practical Questions
Can I manage the stairs?
Is there a bathroom on the main floor?
Can I enter the house with a walker?
Can I maintain the yard?
Is grocery delivery available?
Is reliable internet available?
Can family reach me easily?
Is transportation available?
Build a Financial Cushion When You Can
Cancer-related expenses can continue after active treatment.
There may be scans, appointments, prescriptions, long-term effects, transportation, and other costs.
NCI recommends understanding cancer-related costs and notes that financial navigators and other resources may help patients and families manage some of those challenges.
When possible, I would encourage people to think about money for:
Medical deductibles
Prescriptions
Transportation
Home repairs
Temporary loss of income
Accessibility equipment
Emergency expenses
Pet care
Household help
Not everyone has enough money to create a large emergency fund.
I certainly understand that.
The point is to understand the full financial picture before taking on a major commitment.
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
I wish someone had told me how quickly a housing crisis could follow cancer treatment.
I wish cancer financial counseling had included rent, relocation, transportation, and long-term housing.
I wish someone had explained how emotionally difficult it could be to sign a mortgage while still knowing recurrence was possible.
I wish someone had reminded me that preparing for the worst did not require me to stop planning for the best.
I wish someone had told me that buying a house didn't mean I was pretending I wasn't sick.
It meant I was acknowledging that I was still here.
Most of all, I wish someone had said:
You are allowed to build a future before you know exactly how long that future will be.
Hope for Today
A year before I bought my house, I didn't know what my future would look like.
I had Stage IV cancer.
I had undergone major surgery and chemotherapy.
I had experienced severe anemia, a blood transfusion, exhaustion, fear, and all the uncertainty that comes with a serious diagnosis.
Then my first PET scan showed no evidence of disease.
I was still working.
My employer allowed me to continue working remotely.
My rent increased.
My family's housing situation became unstable.
My sons wanted to return to Virginia.
My daughter and grandchildren were there.
Medical care mattered.
Transportation mattered.
Their dogs mattered.
My ability to live independently mattered.
So I started looking.
I didn't know how long I would live.
I knew where I wanted to live.
And I knew I wanted to build something that would still be there tomorrow.
By July 2, I had bought my house.
Over the July Fourth weekend, I moved in.
Cancer had taught me to prepare for death.
Buying that house taught me to keep preparing for life.
I don't know what the future holds.
None of us really do.
But I decided I wasn't going to let a diagnosis make me stop planning for one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should a person with cancer buy a house?
There is no single right answer. The decision depends on health, income, medical expenses, credit, housing needs, location, family support, and the ability to manage the ongoing costs of homeownership.
How can cancer affect housing decisions?
Cancer can affect income, transportation, accessibility, distance from medical care, family responsibilities, insurance costs, and the ability to maintain a property.
Why is transportation important when choosing a home?
A person may eventually be unable to drive because of treatment, surgery, fatigue, medications, or disability. Access to public transportation or other transportation options can help preserve independence.
What is financial toxicity?
Financial toxicity refers to financial problems and distress associated with the cost of cancer care. It can include medical expenses, reduced income, debt, and difficulty paying for necessities.
Can cancer-related financial problems affect housing?
Yes. NCI notes that financial hardship associated with cancer can include difficulty paying for necessities such as housing and may continue after treatment.
Were mortgage rates really that low in 2021?
Yes. Freddie Mac reported that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was approximately 2.9% during the first half of 2021. Individual borrowers received different rates depending on their circumstances.
Should someone with cancer tell a mortgage lender about their diagnosis?
A mortgage application focuses on specific financial and property information. Applicants should answer required questions truthfully and obtain qualified lending or legal advice regarding their individual situation.
Should I move closer to my children?
That can be helpful, but adult children may eventually move for work, education, marriage, or other reasons. Consider whether you can also live independently and access medical care and transportation where you choose to live.
Is buying always better than renting?
No. Buying creates long-term financial and maintenance responsibilities. For some people, renting may be safer and more flexible. The right decision depends on the individual's circumstances.
Support on Your Journey
Cancer doesn't stop the rest of life.
You still have to figure out where you're going to live.
You still have to work when you can.
You still have family problems.
You still have children becoming adults.
You still have bills.
You still have decisions that have nothing to do with your pathology report.
And sometimes, those everyday decisions become part of surviving cancer too.
Surviving Life Lessons Community Groups are being formed to give patients, survivors,
caregivers, and families a place to talk about the parts of cancer that don't always get discussed in the examination room - housing, money, family, work, transportation, and trying to build a future while living with uncertainty.
Peer support doesn't replace medical, financial, housing, or legal advice.
Sometimes, though, it helps to talk to someone who understands that surviving cancer doesn't mean life suddenly becomes simple.
Sometimes surviving means figuring out how to keep living it.
Find Your Community
No one should have to face life's challenges alone. At Surviving Life Lessons, we believe in life survivors helping life strugglers. Explore our growing Community Groups to connect with others who understand your journey, share encouragement, and find hope through meaningful conversations. You'll also have the opportunity to introduce yourself and share your own story of overcoming. Your story matters. It may be the encouragement someone else needs to keep moving forward, reminding them that they are not alone and that hope is always possible.
Your Story Matters
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References
**National Cancer Institute. “Financial Toxicity and Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version.”**
**National Cancer Institute. Edward Winstead. “Even If Insured, People With Advanced Cancer Often Face Financial Problems.”**
**National Cancer Institute. “Managing Cancer Costs and Medical Information.”**
**National Cancer Institute. Carmen Phillips. “Financial Navigators Reduce the Cost of Cancer Care.”**
**Freddie Mac. “Refinance Trends in the First Half of 2021.”**
**Freddie Mac. “Mortgage Rates.”**
**Freddie Mac. “Mortgage Market Survey Archive.”**
**Freddie Mac. “The Year in Review: Top Three Trends of 2023.”**
About the Author:
Deborah Ann Martin is the founder of Surviving Life Lessons, a published author, poet, speaker, and trainer with over 20 years of management experience across multiple industries. An MBA graduate, U.S. veteran, single mother, and rare cancer survivor, Deborah brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her writing on resilience, leadership, personal growth, and overcoming adversity. Her mission is to empower others with practical wisdom and real-life insight to navigate life’s challenges with strength and purpose.
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