If you are buying a house, the sellers provide a disclosure statement listing any "known defects" that they are aware of.  Is this Disclosure Statement enough assurance that the house is in good condition?  Here is what the Ohio Code says about disclosure statements (in part):

Prior to July 1, 1993, the director of commerce, by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall prescribe the disclosure form to be completed by transferors. The form prescribed by the director shall be designed to permit the transferor to disclose material matters relating to the physical condition of the property to be transferred, including, but not limited to, the source of water supply to the property the nature of the sewer system serving the property; the condition of the structure of the property, including the roof, foundation, walls, and floors; the presence of hazardous materials or substances, including lead-based paint, asbestos, urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, and radon gas; and any material defects in the property that are within the actual knowledge of the transferor. The form also shall set forth a statement of the purpose of the form, including statements substantially similar to the following: that the form constitutes a statement of the conditions of the property and of information concerning the property actually known by the transferor; that, unless the transferee is otherwise advised in writing, the transferor, other than having lived at or owning the property, possesses no greater knowledge than that which could be obtained by a careful inspection of the property by a potential transferee; that the statement is not a warranty of any kind by the transferor or by any agent or subagent representing the transferor in this transaction; that the statement is not a substitute for any inspections; that the transferee is encouraged to obtain his/her own professional inspection; that the representations are made by the transferor and are not the representations of the transferor's agent or subagent; and that the form and the representations contained therein are provided by the transferor exclusively to potential transferees in a transfer made by the transferor, and are not made to transferees in any subsequent transfers. The form shall include instructions to the transferor for completing the form, space in which the transferor or transferors shall sign and date the form, and space in which the transferee or transferees shall sign and date the form acknowledging receipt of a copy of the form and stating that the transferee or transferees understand the purpose of the form as stated thereon.

You can see from this brief excerpt from the Ohio Code that a disclosure statement is not a substitute for a professional Home Inspection.  It provides that neither the seller, nor the buyer, can be expected to have the training or knowledge to accurately include or exclude any known defects.  It further states that the buyer should get a professional Home Inspection.  Without a professional Home Inspection, a buyer is basically purchasing the house "as-is".