Construction on the 62-story Bentley Residences tower at 18401 Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach surpassed Level 7 as of June 2026, with the project on track for a 2028 completion — just as sweeping new Fannie Mae condo financing rules took effect August 3, 2026, reshaping the lending landscape for luxury high-rise buyers across Miami-Dade County.

How fast is Bentley Residences rising?

Dezer Development's 216-unit Bentley Residences tower is ascending at a pace of roughly one floor every five to six working days, one of the faster construction rhythms seen in the Sunny Isles Beach corridor. The collaboration between Dezer Development and Bentley Motors is designed to produce the world's first Bentley-branded residential tower.

  • Patented Dezervator car elevators will allow residents to park their vehicles on their own floors.
  • An exclusive residents-only restaurant by chef Todd English is planned as part of the amenity package.
  • The 2028 completion target remains unchanged as of June 2026.

What are Fannie Mae's new condo rules and who do they affect?

Fannie Mae, the federally chartered mortgage giant, activated updated condominium lending guidelines on August 3, 2026, requiring a Full Review on all residential buildings with more than ten units regardless of the buyer's down-payment level. Previously, buyers putting more money down could bypass stricter scrutiny; under the new rules, every loan tied to a large condo building — including luxury towers such as Bentley Residences — must clear the Full Review process before Fannie Mae will purchase the mortgage.

  • Full Review examinations assess a building's financial health, reserve funding, deferred maintenance, and litigation history.
  • The rule change follows years of pressure on regulators after the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, Florida.
  • High-rise buyers who had relied on smaller down payments to sidestep stricter reviews will no longer have that option.

What does this mean for buyers shopping Miami-Dade luxury towers?

For prospective buyers at Bentley Residences and comparable Sunny Isles Beach high-rises, the Fannie Mae policy shift adds a new layer of due diligence to the purchase process. Lenders originating conventional loans must now confirm Full Review approval before closing, which could lengthen timelines and require developers and condo associations to supply more detailed financial documentation upfront.

  • Buyers using jumbo or portfolio loans not sold to Fannie Mae are unaffected by the August 3, 2026 rule change.
  • Developers of pre-construction towers may need to coordinate earlier with lenders to ensure buildings qualify before units close.
  • The rule applies to all buildings with more than ten units, making it broadly applicable across Miami-Dade's dense high-rise market.

Original reporting on Bentley Residences construction progress and the Fannie Mae guideline update was first published by Florida YIMBY.