Reason being is there will be a lot of geotechnical engineering involved and you will need to spend money having holes drilled to characterize the soil and then have engineered plans drawn up.

Otherwise another investor (like me) could swoop in and snatch it up right from underneath you.

And degree of slope and water table and soil stability. 

Step (3) Then wait some more.Step (4) Then read about those same people and their initial struggles.Step (5) Then wait some more.Step (6) Then read about those same people slowly (or quickly for that matter) start to get their legs underneath and them make progress towards their REI goals.Step (7) Then wait some more.Step (8) Then read about these same people consistently posting about crushing their goals and acquiring more wealth generating assets and realize that had you skipped step 1 and just jumped in with the others for step 2 you would be in some position similar to them now. 

If it's an oder home, a certain amount of settling is normal depending on the soil type, foundation type, construction type etc.

Location, soils, regulation, etc all play a roll in what you have or need.

Of course, we only plan on living in CA for a few more years, so we're basically betting that we won't have significant damage before we sell and move.The type of construction (wood framed/cmu/steel, single story/multi story, etc.) and age of your buildings, the type of soil they are on, and the proximity to a major fault would have a significant impact on how likely they are to be seriously damaged in a quake.

in any event I am calling terminix.I just put down laminate floors and noticed underneath the house all new plywood perhaps the reason all the new wood was there was because of termite damage.from the past.I bought the house last year and noticed nothing else termite related except for two wooden boards on the front of the house seemed to be compromised.I suppose a thorough investigation of all plywood supporting structure wood needs to be done.a complete treatment and then just prayIs there anything Else I need to do or could do or could have done in the past?

The phase number increase as the detail of the site investigation increases usually where Phase II involves soil samples and other physical inspection methods.A leaking storage tank can cause environmental damage, as we all know, depending on what was stored in the tank and the degree of deterioration of the tank.

It's hard to say without having seen the damage and knowing more about the area, soil and normal issues for buildings in the area.