Information asymmetry between buyers and sellers is pretty high. Most home "inspectors" rely upon referrals from agents, so they tend to provide favorable inspections. And their agreements usually indemnify them against recourse. Many buyers don't realize this and think that their stamp of approval is valid.

You can always try to find someone you can relatively trust to do an inspection but a good contractor can be just as hard to find, and finding one willing to take a day out of his busy schedule to checkout the home you're interested in can be difficult.