The main issues I have encountered are foundation issues. Home inspection report calls out concerns, with photos, that warrant a structural or soils engineer to inspect.  Many factors may contribute including those you mentioned. 

One major shift that occurred in New Construction by the end of the 1980’s was Builders using Cinder Blocks for the home’s Foundation. Today we see

either Poured Concrete or Precast Superior Walls 

I've had a few structural inspections over the years.  The best story I have is that there was a crack in the slab that forced me to back out of an escrow.  Next buyer backed out as well and the listing agent came back to me.  I brought a structural engineer out and he said it was not a bad one and could be solved with a special two-part epoxy.  I got the house, paid less than I would have otherwise, and I still have it to this day.  No issues.

We do many of those in San Diego - although we use more foundation & footing inspectors than engineers. I have the best company in San Diego on my team so we're covered. But in La Jolla, I often need structural engineers due to the cliffs and hillside properties. 

This type of work you describe is usually sighted in the streets & sidewalks of any house of interest. Land moves. How much is relevant. On new construction, there is always a settling which produces normal cracks at windows & some doorways after all, the land & the improvement goes where it goes. On older homes, it's all settled in so we look at the foundations which usually start to chip or crumble after 50 years plus. Unless it is "blaring", cracks, crevices, movements etc. all normal. Owning a home comes with maintenance of it. That's what I know Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate 

The minute a structural engineer gets involved, you can kiss that contract goodbye! Most issues in our region can be figured out by an inspector... Direction of cracks, width of cracks, etc, etc, etc; they tell the story.  

Very few. Once a home inspector stated the stem wall was improperly constructed and should be redone. Structural Engineer said it was not only properly done but well done and exceeded code. No longer used or recommended that home inspector. 

I had to get one or two out to give a quote on repairs. Had a chimney falling off a house, while the basement walls were trying to bow and crumble into the lower level. The company that came out informed us they had recommended 16 (I believe) piers to support the chimney and that side of the house, along with 8 helical tie-backs to pull the wall back into square. Also informed us they had recommended the piers to the seller, but the seller opted for 4 to keep the chimney from falling off. 
Was finally able to get the buyer to walk away.

Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate 

I did show a house to a customer about nine years ago, the floors were a bit slanted. The buyer hired an engineer to inspect, it cost the buyer about $2,500 and the buyer became a homeowner and lived happily ever after. Home's age 1950 on one acre, zoned agriculture and no HOA.

Those cinder block basements can be a problem, and often are.  We had one with a bulging seam that went the length of the building, during a very rainy week when the ground was saturated, it gave in and we had a very muddy mess to clean up and rebuild.

Was not as difficult to jack up the building and rebuild the wall as I thought it would be at first.

I never hired one Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate and I don't remember a client hiring one either. Home inspectors always used the same old tired line "we can't see through walls" but I myself had no trouble spotting trouble.

If the home inspector recommends it I have a list.  But I don't always recommend.  But we have red clay dirt, we rarely have issues here.

Fred there was a section of land in Mesa awhile back that many homes were built on.  Turns out the land was 'expansion dirt' and many of the homes ended up with huge cracks in the ceilings and walls.  That was a mess for many folks.

We had an issue with a house that out Team was listing for sale. After getting the proper inspection from the right expert, the seller spent $40,000  to repair the foundation before the house went on the market. With proper disclosures, the house sold with no problem. Thankfully, the seller had plenty of equity in the house to enable the repairs.