wrote:
I dont live in or near California, but I am constantly seeing
disasters in that state which in my opinion are due to stupidity in
construction. Why so the building inspectors allow buildings to be
built on steep hillsides? How many of these homes have slid down the
hills in recent years?

Nothing wrong with building on a hillside, it's how you do it.
Appeareantly homebuilders have never heard of "pilings".