My wife and I bought a house with popcorn ceiling in the Spring of 2005. We were also concerned about the possibility of asbestos but also for cosmetic reasons. The first thing we did before moving in was hire someone to remove the popcorn and re-texture/paint the walls and ceiling. Now our ceilings look great and without the popcorn, it makes the ceilings appear higher. We had the house cleaned before moving in so hopefully there was no asbestos residue.