The Columbus housing market is at an all new high since the Great Recession.  Not only are houses flying off the market faster than last year, the inventory of homes for sale can’t keep up with the demand.

The question is: What’s driving the demand?

Columbus realtor Sara Walsh says homebuyers are looking for homes they can live in for long periods of time.  Job accessibility and school districts are also big drivers for where a family decides to live.

“[F]or instance, the Lewis Center /Westerville area (has) great schools (and) easy access,” said Walsh. “So you have everything that can allow a family to live comfortably.”

Read more: Buyers struggling to compete in surging housing market

According to a report by the Columbus Board of Realtors, there were 282 homes sold within the Olentangy Local School District during the first quarter of 2016.  Southwestern City Schools took the number one spot by selling nearly 361 homes in the same time frame.

Hilliard Local Schools didn't fall far behind on the chart. 302 homes have already been sold this year.

Ashley Hancock was one person who reaped the benefits of Columbus' surging housing market.  “It's probably the easiest sell,” Hancock said. “We've owned and sold four homes and we've never seen anything like this.”

Hancock and her family live in Hilliard's 43026 zip code.  She listed her home on a Tuesday but didn't show it until Friday.  By Saturday night, she had more than 10 offers.

It is quite the turn-around for a family that doesn't have to move until June. So for them, they chose an offer that gave them flexibility.

“We sat down and it took us like two hours to go through all the offers," Hancock recalls.  "And they were all really good offers that we had to go through and sort through and pick the best one for us."

If you are considering putting your home on the market, here are a few tips from Sara Walsh for getting your house ready to show:

1. Fresh paint. Change any worn carpet.  Buyers like to see that the home has been maintained.
2. Curb appeal.  Front porch and front door clean and appealing
3. Replace any plumbing and lighting fixtures.  Buyers like to see homes freshly updated and move-in ready
4. Have a list of updates done by the seller.  Mechanical, cosmetic and incidentals (ex. fencing, invisible fencing, insulation)