Aren’t most wood frame homes quite robust in earthquakes due to the inherent flexibility of the material?
Cheap balloon framing, lots of braces. Sheathe in 5/8 scheissboard. Wrap in chickenwire, 2 layers, and gun-stucco. (Dammit José, get the cement on the frickin' house, willya?)
Should handle anything up to Richter 15. Screw everything down inside. Ride it out. It's like being in an anchored boat! LA Dude. Bad is Good! Unless you have a ground slide underneath. Then, call insurance and make a trip to the house junkyard.
Yes! In LA they have house junkyards, where you can by a slightly used complete house, even a 10 unit small apartment building, tow it to your lot, and be ready to go in a week! That's how strong this really crappy construction is!
Not really ~ they mostly fall down, or over, as they bounce along the ground.